All I Wanted
by Heidihammond14
Summary: Ben Carter is in the career of his dreams-the Air Force. When tragedy strikes, he's forced to return home where he meets Allison Johnson. The two fall deeply in love but when Ben is forced to return he leaves Allison vowing to wait for him Full summary-
1. Prologue

**Well hello! This is the first story i've ever written, so please, go easy on me. **

**Here's the full summary: Twenty-three year old Ben Carter is pursuing the career of his dreams- The Air Force. But, when tragedy strikes, he is forced to return home. It's here that he meets twenty-one year old Allison Johnson. The two soon fall deeply in love but when Ben is forced to return, he leaves Allison vowing to wait for him. Can their love truly survive the many obstacles life throws at it?**

****I originally had this story rated as T but I eventually changed it to M, just to be on the safe side. I don't want people to think it's a bad story, but there is a couple of sexual scenes and torture scenes, but I promise, it's not bad at all. I'm only 17, I'm not going to write something horrible haha. My parents have read this, I wouldn't write something I wouldn't want my parents to read. So, please, don't judge this story based on the rating.****

**I first began writing this story in a composition book in October of 2009. I just had this crazy idea and had to get it down on paper. I had no idea how much I would love writing it. I finally finished it in the summer of 2010, totalling to eleven composition books. Crazy right? :D I wrote it all first and then took a break and then went back and re-read it. After I finished it, I couldn't believe that I had wrote it. I had always been a good writer- my English teachers would agree with me ;) and it first struck me how good I was when we had to write a story on anything we wanted to in my 10th grade English class. I wrote a love story and got the paper back from my teacher a month later. I had gotten an A+ on it. My teacher wrote me a note saying "Wow! Heidi you are truly an amazing writer. Keep writing and practicing and you could have a future with it!" I think that's when I finally realized I loved to write.**

**Anyway, this author's note is huge. And this story will be even huger (is that a word? :0) I'm telling you upfront, it's going to be a long story. But I hope you stick it out with me! Anyway, enjoy my story! It's kind of based on the Dear John kind of story, where the guy is in the Air Force and he comes home and meets the girl of his dreams and they struggle to be together. Like I said, it's based on the Dear John principle, but I promise, it's a totally different story. Wheww, anyway enjoy! And review! That way I know someone's actually reading this... :D **

**Prologue**

Wilmington, North Carolina was a place alot of people would call perfect. It had three beaches- Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure. The state port employed a lot of local people and people from all over the state. And the U.S.S. North Carolina had been based along the Cape Fear River. Along with beaches, there were mountains that were about six hours away. For alot of people, Wilmington was the perfect place to live. This is where Ben Carter grew up.

Ben Carter was twenty-three years old and still lived with his mom and dad in the up and growing town of Wilmington, North Carolina. He was also in the Air Force; he had joined when he was nineteen years old. His relatives had all been in the Air Force- his great-great grandfather, his great grandfather, his grandfather, his father and almost all of his cousins had all joined.

His father, Mark Carter, had retired almost five years ago and it wasn't a stretch to say that he felt he had to join. His reasoning for joining, though, had less to do with the influence of his family. He loved planes and loved flying them. As a kid, he had thousands of toy planes and about fifty model airplanes. He loved to talk to his father about his time in the Air Force and Ben decided when he was twelve that he would join. He had always been fascinated by the fact that something so heavy could fly flawlessly through the air. So, at age nineteen, he enlisted.

He went to an eight-week basic training program in Texas, then was based at Edwards Air Force Base in Lancaster, California. He usually got two-week leaves about every nine months. He was now in his third year of being in the Air Force and he loved it. Well, most of it anyway. Sometimes, he would be picked for gaurd duty and he decided that it had to be the most boring job on the face of the Earth.

During his three years, he had been shipped to France, Germany, Portugal, Afghanistan, Iran, and most recently, Iraq. He had been shipped to different Air Force bases in the United States but usually if he was being shipped out, he was shipped out of the states.

With Ben being an only child, his mother had never before experienced the feeling of sending her child across the ocean. When he was first sent to basic training in Texas, he stood at the airport hugging his mom good-bye for almost twenty minutes. His mom, Megan Carter, had met his father while his father was in the Air Force.

He was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina and had met Ben's mother while on leave in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. They got married while he was on leave at his mother's church and they had Ben a couple of years later.

Like alot of cities, Wilmington was rich in parts and poor in others. Though they didn't live in a rich neighborhood, they lived close enough to one, so Ben was able to go to one of the best high schools in Wilmington. He played football his freshman and sophomore year and he began to play his junior year, but his grades started to slip and he quit. Even though he quit, his grades continued to suffer.

He began to hang out with the "wrong crowd" and began to cut classes. At the beginning of senior year, his counselor called him into her office and asked him what he planned to do after graduating from high school. He told her he planned to go into the Air Force and she told him if he wanted to join, he had to get his grades up.

He decided that he would work extra hard and, when it wasn't enough, he got a tutor. After a couple of months, his grades had risen tremendously. When he graduated, he had three B's and one C. He graduated when he was eighteen and he took a couple of months off before joining the Air Force.

Despite his appearance, Ben had never had many girlfriends. He had short brown hair and his skin was tan year-round. During his junior year, he had gotten two tattoos on each of his arms. He had light blue eyes and most would classify him as good-looking. He had a couple of girlfriends his sophomore year and the same one his junior and senior year. Though he had girlfriends, he had never been in love.

While he was in the Air Force, he had made a couple of friends but, by far, his best friend was Jeff Duval. They had met when he was first stationed at Edwards. They were in the same barracks and stayed together in the same regime all three years. Jeff had already been in for seven years and he was considering making it a career. Jeff was twenty-seven, four years older than Ben.

Even though Jeff didn't have a girlfriend, he was in love with his best friend, Emma Stewart. They had been friends since high school but Jeff had loved her from the start. He had never told her the truth about his feelings because he was scared she wouldn't feel the same way and their relationship would change- and not for the better. Amazingly, Jeff lived in Burgaw, about thirty minutes away from Wilmington.

If asked, Ben would say his life was pretty good- he had amazing friends and he was pursuing the career of his dreams. He had no idea how much his next few leaves would forever change his life.

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><p><strong>So, here's the prologue! It's not much, but it gives you the background of Ben and how he's gotten to where he is. Please review! The first chapter shall be up soon! How exciting! :D<strong>


	2. Chapter 1 Part 1

**Well hello again! Here's the first official chapter for All I Wanted. I just typed this up, so if there's any spelling mistakes, just holla at me ;) Hope you enjoyed the prologue and hope you enjoy this chapter! It's 3:39 in the morning right now- I couldn't sleep for anything. But i'm kind of getting tired now, so I shall retreat to mah bed. Enjoy chapter 1! And review please! :)**

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

On the morning before his last day on leave, Ben awoke to the phone ringing. Someone answered the phone and a couple of seconds later, he heard his mom calling his name. He rolled over and put his pillow over his head. His mom called his name again and Ben rolled over and looked at the clock- 9:45. Who calls for him at 9:45 in the morning?

His mom called again, this time ouder, and he could tell she was growing impatient. He rolled out of bed and headed out into the kitchen where his mom was sitting at the kitchen table, paying bills. His mom took off her glasses when she saw him,

"About time, I called you five times." He rubbed his eyes,

"Who's on the phone?"

"Your friend, Jeff." He picked up the phone and said, yawning,

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ben, what are you doing?" His friend asked.

"Nothing, trying to sleep."

"What are you doing around lunctime?" He asked, ignoring Ben's comment. He yawned again,

"I don't know, why?"

"Will you come up to Burgaw and have lunch with me and Emma?"

"Lunch?" Ben asked, not believed he was awoken for this.

"Yeah, please? She wants me to have lunch with her."

"So why do you need me to come?" He asked, looking out the window. It was Thursday and his father was mowing the lawn.

"Because she wants to meet you, and I want you to go. Oh, and she invited her friend Allison and she doesn't want her to be a third wheel." Ben sighed and thought about it. Oh, why not? He didn't have anything else to do.

"All right, what time do I need to be there?"

After hanging up the phone, Ben took a quick shower and put on a pair of jeans and a black, long-sleeve shirt. Even though it was the middle of February, it wasn't that cold outside. He didn't have that much time- he was supposed to meet Jeff, Emma and... Allison? at Ruby Tuesdays at 11:15.

Burgaw was only thirty minutes away, but the Ruby Tuesdays they were eating at was on the other side of Burgaw, which would take about forty-five minutes, and it was already 10:20. He walked through the kitchen where his mom was still sitting at the table. She saw that he was dressed and that he was reaching for his keys.

"Where are you going?" He turned towards her,

"Oh, i'm going up to Burgaw to have lunch with Jeff." His mom took off her glasses again,

"You're going out again?" He had been out almost every day this week.

"Yeah, it's just lunch though. Don't worry, i'm going to spend my last day on leave with you and dad." She wore a serious expression,

"Okay. You better." He smiled and went over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I will. I'll see you later, okay?"

"All right, love you. And be careful."

"Okay, love you too." He said as he walked out the door.

His drive to Burgaw took a little longer than he expected. He was supposed to be at Ruby Tuesdays at 11:15, but he pulled in the parking lot at 11:25. He got out of his truck and saw them sitting outside the restaurant on a bench. He felt bad for making them wait. He walked up and Jeff was the first to see him. He hopped up and walked towards him,

"Ben! What's up? We were worried you weren't going to make it." Ben nodded,

"Yeah, i'm sorry. It took me a little longer than I expected." Jeff shook his head,

"No worries," he put an arm around Ben's shoulder, "Come on, I want you to meet Emma and Allison."

Ben saw them sitting on the bench. He recognized the blonde as Emma; Jeff had shown him a picture of her while they were on base. There was a girl sitting beside her and figured it was Allison. She was sitting with her legs crossed, talking and laughing with Emma. She had long, brown hair and he could see her shivering from the weather. He, again, felt bad for mkaing them wait.

"Ben, this is Emma." Jeff said. She stood up and extended her hand,

"It's nice to finally meet you. Jeff has told me all about you." Ben took her hand,

"Same. He's told me alot about you, too." She looked at Jeff,

"Good things, i'm hoping." Jeff smiled at her and Ben wondered if she had any idea how much Jeff loved her. She interrupted his thoughts and said,

"Oh, i'm sorry, this is my friend, Allison Johnson." Allison stood up and smiled and extended her hand,

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." He took it and it felt warm, despite the cold weather.

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Well, are we ready to eat?" Jeff asked. Ben and Allison said, at the same time,

"Yeah, let's go." They looked at each other and their eyes met. Ben could swear he felt a click when she looked in his eyes. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Jeff led thew way with Emma right behind him. Ben held the door open and Jeff and Emma walked right in, but Allison smiled and said 'thank you' as she walked inside.

He smiled back and they walked in. They were seated in the smoking section, in a booth along the wall. Jeff and Emma sat on the insides, across from each other, leaving Ben and Allison on the outsides, across from each other. Jeff whipped out a cigarette.

Ben had never smoked; his grandfather had passed away from lung cancer and he asked Ben to never start smoking. He had honored his grandfather's dying wish and had never touched a cigarette. Though he occasionally drank, he was definately not an alcoholic. He drank maybe a couple of beers a week, but could go a whole month withought having one.

The waitress appeared and took their drink orders. After she left, Jeff and Emma started talking, leaving Ben and Allison feeling a little awkward. Jeff took another hit of his cigarette and he exhaled smoke. Allison wrinkled her brow.

"So, I take it you don't smoke?" Ben asked. She looked at him,

"Oh, no I don't. I never really got what was so great about them. I mean, they do nothing for you what-so-ever. Your teeth fall out, you get wrinkles, and there's lung cancer." Ben nodded his head and smiled, liking her answer.

"What about you?" She asked. He shook his head,

"No, like you said, I never really got what was so great about them."

The waitress reappeared with their drinks and she took their order. When the waitress left a second time, Allison brought her hands together,

"So, I hear you're in the Air Force with Jeff?" He nodded and took a sip of his sweet tea. It wasn't really sweet so he added a packet of sweet-n-low.

"Yeah, but he's been in longer than me."

"How long have you been in?"

"About three years." She nodded and took a sip of her tea. She must have thought the same thing he did because she followed his lead and added a packet of sweet-n-low.

"So, what do you do exactly?" She asked.

"I'm a pilot." She raised her eyebrow,

"Really? That's so cool." He smiled,

"Yeah?" She nodded,

"Yeah, it's not everyday I meet an Air Force pilot."

She asked him about being in the Air Force and being a pilot and he explained that he wasn't just a pilot, he was a fighter pilot. His missions included providing air support in the war and shooting down enemy planes. She was amazed at this and he could tell she was listening attentively when she nodded her head and asked different questions. He told her that, aside from being a fighter pilot, he often studied and read about aviation and different parts of the plane.

They talked nonstop until the waitress came with their food. As she sat Allison's food in front of her, Allison smiled and said thank you. He noticed a tiny gap between her teeth when she smiled. She had long brown hair, but he could see a few strikes of blonde underneath. She was pretty and had a warm smile, that went with her personality. He, of course, didn't really know her- they had only met forty- five minutes ago- but she seemed like the kind of girl that always used her manners and didn't have a mean bone in her body.

When the waitress left, Allison took a bite out of her burger, as did Ben. Allison took the napkin and wiped her mouth and folded it in her lap.

"So, why did you decide to join the Air Force?" He put down his burger,

"Well, my whole family has been in the Air Force- my great-great grandfather, my great grandfather, my grandfather, and my dad. So, I guess you could say my family had something to do with it. But, even without the influence of my family, I loved planes, even as a kid. Growing up I must have had a thousand toy planes and about fifty model airplanes. I just loved the idea that something as big as a plane-"

"-Could fly through the air without a problem?" She finished for him. He smiled and nodded,

"Exactly." They ate for a while before she asked,

"So, how old are you?" He put down his burger and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"23. I'll turn 24 in July." She nodded.

"How about you?" He asked.

"I just turned 21 in November." He nodded,

"Well, happy belated birthday." She smiled,

"Thank you." The waitress appeared and gave them their check. Ben grabbed it and Allison reached for her purse.

"I got it." Ben said. She wore a surprised expression and shook her head,

"What? No-" He nodded his head,

"Yes, I got it." She looked at him, then put her purse down and smiled,

"Thank you."

"No problem." Ben paid for his and Allison's and Jeff paid for his and Emma's. They paid the bill and walked out. Jeff had driven by himself and Allison had ridden with Emma. Emma and Jeff's cars were parked on the other side of the parking lot. When they got outside, Jeff turned to Ben and asked,

"Did you have a good time?" Ben looked over at Allison and then back to Jeff,

"Yeah, I think I did." Jeff turned to look at Allison and then looked back at Ben, smiling,

"Oh, so you've taken a liking to Allison, huh?"

"What? No. I mean, yeah she's a nice girl." Jeff looked suspiciously,

"Mhmm, okay. Well, I guess i'll see you at the airport tomorrow afternoon." Ben nodded,

"Yep, 6:30 right?"

"Yeah, the plane leaves at 7."Ben nodded again,

"Alright, i'll be there." Emma and Allison both turned to them. Emma stuck out her hand and said,

"Nice meeting you, Ben." He took it,

"You too, Emma." Emma and Jeff went back to talking and Ben shuffled his feet. Allison finally broke the silence and said,

"It was really nice meeting you, Ben." He smiled and said,

"You, too. I enjoyed talking to you." She smiled,

"Me, too. It was interesting to hear you talking about your job." He nodded,

"Yeah, maybe we can do it again sometime." She smiled again,

"I'd like that." She extended her hand and he took it, again feeling the warmth of it. She smiled,

"Bye, Ben." He smiled too,

"Bye, Allison."

He watched her turn and fall in step beside Emma. She turned around and smiled and waved. He waved back to her, smiling. He went back to his truck, thinking this was definately not the last time he wanted to see Allison Johnson.

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><p><strong>Well, there's chapter 1! Hope you guys liked it :) Please review! See you next chapter!<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, here we are again! Here's Chapter 2! Just as a warning, my word pad doesn't have spell check on it so if there's spelling errors, please don't chop off mah head. I went through and I think I found all of them, but if not, i'm sorry. Enjoy! Oh, and review! :)**

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

On his way home, his mind kept wandering back to Allison. He liked talking to her and he liked the way she listened attentively as he talked.

The drive home seemed to go by faster than his drive up there. When he got home, his father had finished cutting the grass and he saw shadows moving in the living room. He pulled into the driveway and got out. He walked in and saw his mom and dad looking at family albums. He watched them for a minute, laughing and reminiscing. His mom looked up and saw him,

"Oh, hey, Ben. How was lunch?" He nodded,

"It was good, I met Jeff's friend, Emma and Emma's friend, Allison."

"Cool." His mom said. His dad piped in and asked,

"Do you want to come look at these pictures with us? They're hilarious." He thought about it for a second,

"How about tomorrow?" His dad nodded and they went back to looking and started laughing again. Ben went to hang up his keys when the phone rang.

"I got it!" He yelled to his parents. He answered the phone,

"Hello?"

"Ben! Is that you?" Whoever it was, was yelling on the other end. He held the phone away from his ear,

"Yeah, who is this?"

"It's Emma! Ben, please help us!" He realized she was crying. Help them? What was she talking about? He shook his head,

"What? Emma, what happened?" She was crying hysterically and he heard Allison in the background, crying and talking to the police on the phone.

"Emma, what happened?" He asked again, starting to panic. He heard Allison hang up the phone and say the police couldn't get there for another hour. He was getting impatient,

"Emma! What is going on?" She was still crying and he heard Allison say,

"Emma, give me the phone."

"Ben, is that you?" She was crying as well.

"Yeah, Allison what happened?" She was sobbing as she began the story,

"We left Ruby Tuesdays and- and we stopped at a red light and it- it turned green and Jeff was in front of us." She took a sharp breath and continued,

"He started to go but his truck ran the red light." She started to cry harder,

"He hit Jeff going 70 miles an hour." Ben's stomach dropped.

"The police said they can't get here for another hour." He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his face,

" Allison, where are you?" She was still crying,

"We're about twenty-five minutes away from the Ruby Tuesdays, on Highway I- 40." He was already reaching for his keys,

"I'm on my way." She sighed,

"Thank you so much, Ben." He hung up the phone and grabbed his keys, running out of the door. His parents looked up and called his name, but he didn't have time to stop and explain. He ran to his truck and hopped in. By the time he got in his truck, his parents were at the door. His mother called his name and his dad asked,

"Ben! What is going on?" He put the truck in reverse and stuck his head out of the window and yelled,

"I'll explain later!" He backed out of the driveway and sped towards Burgaw.

Thankfully, the traffic wasn't bad and he drove ten miles over the speed limit. He reached the Ruby Tuesdays in twenty minutes and he accelerated to fifteen miles an hour above the speed limit. He began to see smoke ten minutes later and there about five cars in the road. He saw Emma's car on the side of the road and he saw a black truck completely smashed in the middle of the road. Then, he saw Jeff's truck turned upside down, next to a telephone pole.

"Oh, no." He whispered.

When he got closer, he pulled off the side of the road and ran towards the crash. He saw Allison and Emma standing off the road, looking at Jeff's truck- there were about five men standing around it. He ran over to Emma and Allison and Emma saw him first.

"Ben!" He looked at her and her eyes were very red and swollen, her mascara running down her face.

"Ben, please help him!" He looked at the truck and asked,

"What's going on?" She shook her head and he put his hands on her shoulders,

"Emma! What happened? What's going on?" Allison had reached them and he saw her eyes were red and swollen like Emma's. Emma looked at him and said, sobbing,

"That truck ran the red light and hit Jeff's truck. His truck ran off the road and hit the telephone pole." She started crying harder,

"They can't get him out."

He looked at Jeff's truck and realized why all of the men were standing around it- they were trying to figure out a way to get him out. He sprinted toward Jeff's truck. One of the men looked at him,

"Who are you?"

"I'm here to try and get him out. What's wrong?"

"We can't get his seatbelt undone and his legs are pinned underneath the stearing wheel." One of the men said.

"And this power line is shaking quite a bit. We're worried it's going to collapse and electrocute everyone here." Another man added.

Ben bent down beside Jeff's truck and looked in the broken driver's side window. He saw that Jeff was unconscious. He remembered he had a pocket knife so he took it out and began cutting the seatbelt off of him.

" It's no use, i've already tried that." One of the guys said behind him. He continued cutting it and a couple of seconds later, he got it. He turned around,

"Guess you're not as determined as I am."

"Now, how are we going to get him out?" Someone asked. Another one yelled that gas was leaking out of the truck.

"We can't be near here if this power line collapses."

"We need to get him out- fast."

The telephone pole started to creak and they all looked up at it. They began to strategize how they were going to get Jeff out. They decided that the smallest guy, who's name was Harrison, would crawl in the truck and get down to where Jeff's feet were pinned and try to get them free- Ben would be standing there to pull him out. The rest would keep an eye on the telephone pole. While Harrison crawled in to the truck, Ben looked over at Emma and Allison.

Allison was hugging Emma, obviously trying to comfort her. But, from Ben's perspective, it looked like Allison needed comforting, too. She saw him looking and they simply stared at each other for what seemed like forever. When their eyes met, it seemed like everything else disappeared. His thoughts were interrupted by Harrison yelling from inside the truck. He turned to him, wondering if Allison had felt what he felt.

"Ben, try and pull him out!" He reached down and and grabbed Jeff's arm, trying to pull; he couldn't get him.

"He won't budge!" He yelled back.

"All right, hold on!"

Above them the telephone pole began to creak loudly. They all looked at each other and they knew that it was about to collapse.

"Come on, hurry up!" One of the men yelled.

It creaked again and began to wobble, slowly at first, then wobbling more and more. Everyone started to yell and the men yelled to hurry up, then they ran away, yelling that it was going to fall. Ben started to panic, but he wouldn't leave without Jeff or Harrison. Finally, he heard Harrison yell,

"Pull him out!" Ben pulled Jeff's arms and he began to wiggle free. He heard someone yell behind him,

"It's going to fall!"

He pulled Jeff's arms one more hard time and it was enough- Jeff was free. He pulled him out and set him down on the road. He turned back around and helped Harrison out of the truck. The telephone pole then began to topple over. They quickly grabbed Jeff's arms and each put one of his arms around their necks. They ran towards the crowd of people and he saw Emma put her hand over her mouth and Allison point toward them and yell,

"Ben, watch out!" The crowd of people screamed and Ben and Harrison ran even faster. Then, it finally collapsed. It fell on Jeff's truck and it electrified the road that was covered in gas. It then exploded and Ben and Harrison jumped forward, falling on the ground.

Ben looked at the wreckage from the ground and, a few seconds later, a fire truck and a police car showed up. A couple of men came and helped Harrison stand up. Emma helped another man drag Jeff away and Allison came with someone else to help Ben. He saw Allison and the man running towards him and, when she got near, she knelt down beside him,

"Ben! Are you okay?" He nodded and the other man helped her pull him up by the arms. He turned around and saw paramedics surrounding Jeff, with Emma kneeling beside him.

He was laying on the road and Ben and Allison ran over to them. One of the paramedics was giving Jeff C.P.R. Emma was kneeling beside him crying hysterically and he saw Allison out of the corner of his eye put both of her hands over her mouth and whisper,

"Oh, no."

He saw a couple of more paramedics roll a gurney over to Jeff. They loaded him onto it and put an oxygen mask over his mouth. Ben went over to them and asked what was going on. They told him that they had to take him to the hospital and that he was most likely going to be fine, but only family members could ride in the ambulance.

He turned around and rubbed his face and noticed that his sleeve was bloody. He looked at Jeff's truck and it was up in flames with firefighters busy trying to put it out. He saw Allison comforting Emma and he decided to leave them alone.

A paramedic approached him and asked if he was okay. The paramedic saw that his sleeve was bloody so he took out a bandage and rolled up Ben's sleeve. He taped it up, asking Ben multiple questions about his injury. He saw a police officer approach Emma and start talking to her. He led her away and left Allison by herself.

When the paramedic finished taping up his arm, he excused himself and walked over to Allison. She saw him approaching and she gave a weak smile and crossed her arms.

"How are you doing?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders,

"Not so hot." Her eyes were still red and swollen, but she had stopped crying. He nodded,

"Yeah, stupid question." He motioned over his shoulder,

"The paramedics said that they were going to take him to the hospital. I think i'm going to head over there, do you want to come with me?" She thought about it,

"I would, but I think I should stay with Emma; she's really shaken up. She doesn't need to be by herself." He nodded,

"Yeah, you're right."

"We'll probably head over there as soon as she finishes up with that officer though." He nodded,

"Okay. Will you be okay until she gets done?" She smiled,

"Yeah, i'll be fine."

"All right, well i'm going to head on, okay?" She nodded,

"Okay, i'll see you there, i'm sure."

He nodded and then turned around and went back to his truck. He was worried about Jeff but the paramedics had assured him that Jeff would be fine. The paramedics wouldn't lie about that, right?

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><p><strong>Well, there's Chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review! So I can know if I should continue or not... :D<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! Don't want to give too much away, so I just won't say anything :D Enjoy! And review too! :)**

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

The hospital Jeff was transferred to was about ten minutes away but, because of the wreck, it took him almost twenty minutes to get there. When he pulled in the parking lot, he parked his truck and walked inside. He had never liked hospitals and this trip was no exception. There were a couple of people in the waiting room, but it wasn't busy. He walked up to the desk and the secretary greeted him with a smile,

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am, I was wondering if you could tell me what room Jeff Duvall is in? They just brought him in, I think." The smile immediately left her face as she nodded,

"You might want to follow me." He followed her down a long hallway until she stopped in front of a door,

"Can you wait right here for me for a minute, sweetie?"

"Sure."

He was starting to worry. When he had asked her what room Jeff was in, the smile immediately left her face; that couldn't be a good sign. He waited for what seemed like forever until she finally came out.

"Can you wait in the waiting room for a few minutes? The doctor is busy at the moment."

"Sure…" He said again. She smiled,

"Thank you." She led him back down the hallway and into the waiting room.

"He'll be right out." He nodded,

"All right, thank you."

He sat down and there were a couple of people sitting across the room, but other than that, he was alone. He picked up a magazine, then almost immediately put it back down. He sat back and replayed his day. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 4:30. He saw a payphone and decided to call his parents. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a couple of coins and dialed the number. His mom picked up,

"Hello?"

"Hey mom."

"Ben? Where are you?" He took a deep breath,

"I'm at the hospital."

"What? What happened? Are you okay?" He heard the panic in her voice,

"Yeah mom I'm fine, it's Jeff. There was an accident." She sighed,

"Oh my… I'm sorry, Ben, is he okay?"

He was about to answer when he heard someone enter the waiting room. He turned around and saw that it was Emma and Allison. They saw him and Allison waved. He waved back and saw that Emma looked rougher than she did back at the accident. Her eyes were redder and more swollen. Her face was pale as Allison led her to sit down.

"Ben, are you still there?" He almost forgot that he was on the phone.

"Yeah, sorry. And I don't know, we're in the waiting room- the doctor's busy right now." He heard someone crying and he turned around. He saw that Emma had started crying again as Allison put her arm around her. Allison sighed and saw him looking and gave a weak smile.

"All right, well I hope he's okay." His mom said.

"Me too. I better go, the doctor should be coming in any second."

"Okay, I'll see you when you get home. Love you."

"Love you too." He hung up and went and sat down beside Allison.

"Hey." he said. She sighed,

"Hi." Emma turned to him,

"Hey, Ben."

"Hey, Emma. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She said between sobs.

"The paramedic said Jeff would be okay." Allison offered, optimistically.

"Then why are we just sitting here? Why can't we see him?" Emma argued. Allison started to say something, but closed her mouth. She looked at Ben.

"Well maybe he's resting." He said for her. She continued to cry and Allison put her hand on Emma's back. They sat for a while before Emma said she had to go to the restroom. Allison offered to go with her but she said she needed some time alone for a few minutes. She got up and left the waiting room and Allison took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She nodded,

"Yeah, I'm just worried. About Jeff and Emma both. Emma is so worried about him." She shook her head,

"She actually told me on the way over here that she was in love with Jeff." He looked at her,

"Really?" She nodded,

"Yeah, she worried about him but she's also worried that she won't have a chance to tell him how she really feels."

"Wow, really?" She looked at him,

"Yeah, why so surprised?" He chuckled,

"Nothing it's just… you know Jeff is in love with her too, right?" She raised her eyebrow,

"What?" He nodded,

"Yeah, he's been in love with her ever since I've known him, and I've known him for three years now."

"Wow, why are they just friends, then?" She asked, surprised.

"I don't know. He said he was scared to tell her because he was afraid that their relationship would change, and not for the better. He was scared she wouldn't feel the same."

She was about to respond when Emma walked back in. She had obviously tried to freshen up, but her eyes were still red and swollen. She sat down and Ben was about to say something about her and Jeff when Allison elbowed him. He looked at her and her eyes were wide as she shook her head. He smiled, liking the way she looked when she was nervous. He decided not to say anything. They sat in silence for a few minutes before a doctor came in. He came over to them,

"Are you all the folks looking for Mr. Duvall?"

"Yes." Ben said, standing up.

"Will you please come with me?" His expression was serious. They all looked at each other and followed him outside the waiting room.

"What's wrong, doctor?" Ben asked. He turned around to face them, bringing his hands together.

"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Mr. Duvall didn't make it." Ben's heart sank,

"What?" The doctor sighed,

"When Mr. Duvall arrived, he was unconscious. His heart rate then started to slow and we tried to shock him, but we lost him."

His heart sank even lower as he looked at Emma and Allison. Emma started to break down and started to cry, soft at first, then she got louder and louder. She broke down and collapsed on the floor. Allison had both hands over her mouth and tears started rolling down her cheeks. Ben was speechless and shocked, then he remembered what the paramedic had said.

"Wait, I talked to a paramedic at the accident. He said that Jeff was going to be fine." The doctor nodded,

"We thought he was going to be, but the impact of the crash must have been too much for his body to handle. Do you know if he was smoking or drinking before the accident?"

"No." He immediately replied. He then remembered that he had a cigarette at the restaurant and ordered a Budweiser to drink.

"Yeah. Yeah, he had both." he admitted. The doctor shook his head,

"That adds only insult to injury. We think he died of internal bleeding in the brain. I'm so sorry."

With that, he turned and walked back down a long hallway and into a set of double doors. He looked at Allison and Emma. Allison still had her hands over her mouth,

"Oh my god." She whispered. Emma was still on the floor. He went over to her,

"Emma, come on."

He grabbed her arms and helped her up. She was sobbing and he stood and held her for a minute. She was still crying and Ben looked over at Allison. She was crying too and he looked at her and she looked back at him. He hated to see people cry, but when he saw Allison cry, it bothered him more than usual. He was about to say something when someone busted into the room. He let Emma go and they looked behind them. A man and a woman were screaming,

"Where is he? Where is he?" A nurse came in and asked them to calm down and asked who they were looking for. The woman shrieked,

"My son, Jeff!" Ben, Allison and Emma all looked at each other. The nurse sighed and said,

"Mrs. Duvall, I'm sorry, but your son didn't make it." Ben saw all the color drain from her face. She lost it and started crying and wailing. It was then that she looked over at them and said,

"Emma?" She ran over to her and hugged her,

"Emma, what happened?" She asked, between her sobs. Ben looked over at Allison and she began to cry harder.

"Mrs. Duvall?" He finally asked. She looked at him,

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Ben Carter. I was one of Jeff's friends."

"Oh my gosh, you're Ben?" He sighed and nodded,

"Yes ma'am." She came over to him,

"Jeff talked about you constantly. Please, Ben, what happened to my son?"

Ben was started to get tears in his eyes, all of his emotions he was trying to keep bottled inside were slowly rising to the surface.

"Jeff was in a car accident. A truck ran a red light and hit going 70 miles an hour."

Jeff's mom put a hand over her mouth and more tears fell down her cheeks. Ben's eyes were starting to get even more watery and tears started to fall down his cheeks as well. He looked down and said,

"I'm so sorry."

She lost it again, Emma losing it soon after her. He looked at Allison and the tears were streaming down her cheeks. 'I can't handle this.' He thought. He had to get out of there. He walked back down the hallway and past the secretary's desk. He walked out of the hospital and into the busy parking lot. He was walking down the steps when he heard someone behind yelling his name.

"Ben! Ben!" He turned around and saw Allison running towards him. When she got closer, he could see her eyes were still red and swollen but she wasn't crying anymore.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm leaving, I can't stay in there anymore."

"Why not?" He pointed his hand towards the hospital,

"Because my best friend just died, that's why! And I can't stay in that hospital just sitting there watching all of cry." He shook his head, with tears in his eyes,

"I can't take it." He turned around and started to head towards his truck.

"Hey!" She called out. He turned around and she came towards him.

"Do you think you're the only one who's hurting? A mother just found out what happened to her son from someone she doesn't even know! She'll never be able to see him or feel his touch ever again and you're acting like you're the only one who's hurting." He shook his head,

"No I'm not, but I'm not going to sit in there anymore."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going home. Goodbye, Allison." With that, he turned and headed towards his truck.

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><p><strong>A sad chapter :( Sorry for everyone who liked Jeff. But his passing had to happen for future events. Which I think you'll like :D See you next chapter! Oh and if you've already forgotten, please review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello hello hello! Here's Chapter 4! It's kind of long and there's not alot of really important things in it, not to say that it isn't good or anything. But let's just say, I wouldn't be mad if you just skimmed it. I originally had it separated into 3 chapters but then I combined it into one. I didn't want to have 3 sort-of-non-important chapters up in mah story. The next few chapters will be exciting though, promise! Well, enjoy! And review too if you see fit. **

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

The entire ride home he thought about Jeff. He thought about the accident and replayed the way Jeff looked as he sat in the vehicle, unconscious. He also thought about Allison and regretted arguing with her. She was right- he shouldn't have just left. But he knew he couldn't have stayed in there any longer.

When he pulled in the driveway, he saw a light on in the living room. He got out and walked in the door. He walked into the living room and his father was sitting in the chair- his mother on the couch. His mom saw him and jumped up and ran to him, his father following behind her.

"How is he?" His mother asked. Ben shook his head,

"He didn't make it, mom." He whispered, still not fully believing it.

"Oh my gosh." She whispered, putting her hands over her mouth.

"Oh, honey." She embraced him and they hugged. His father put his arms around them and they stood together for a while. When Ben pulled away, his father said,

"I'm so sorry, Ben." He nodded and whispered a thanks. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 8:30. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep but he needed to be alone.

"I'm going to go to my room, okay?" His mom nodded,

"Are you okay, sweetie?" He sighed,

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"If we can do anything, let us know." His dad said.

"Okay, thanks." He walked to his room and laid on his bed. He tossed and turned for an hour before going and taking a long, hot shower. He got out and put on a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He want back and laid on his bed. A few minutes later, the phone rang. He turned over on his stomach and then heard someone come in his room.

"Ben?" He turned over and saw it was his mom.

"Honey, the phone's for you."

"I'm not here." He said, rolling back over.

"It's Jeff's mom, sweetie." He turned around,

"What?" She nodded and handed him the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ben?"

"Yes?" He asked, wondering how she got his number.

"Hi, this is Jeff's mom."

"Hi." He said, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm sorry for calling you right out of the blue, but Emma gave me your number and I wanted to call you and thank you." He was surprised,

"Thank me?"

"Yes. Allison Johnson told me about the accident and what you did." He smiled, again regretting arguing with her.

"She did?" He asked, still smiling.

"Yes, she told me how you drove all the way up to Burgaw and helped pull Jeff out of his truck and that you wouldn't leave him or the other boy that was helping him." Her voice started to crack and he could tell she was about to cry.

"I wanted to thank you so much for trying to save him." He shook his head,

"It's no problem, I wouldn't have left him for anything." She took a deep breath, and he apologized for earlier.

"I'm sorry for leaving the hospital earlier, I shouldn't have just left like that." She sniffed,

"It's okay. Oh, and I wanted to tell you, we're going to have Jeff's funeral whenever you come back on your next leave."

"What?" He asked, shocked.

"Yes, we want you to be able to be there."

"Wow, thank you." He said. She sighed,

"You're welcome. And thank you so much again." He nodded,

"You're welcome."

"Well, if you will, will you call me when you come back on your next leave so I will know when to schedule his funeral?"

"I sure will." He promised.

"Okay, my number is 765-0957."

"Okay." He said, writing it down.

"All right, well, I'll be waiting to hear from you."

"Okay, thank you again." He said,

"You're welcome, good-bye Ben."

"Good-bye." He hung up the phone, still shocked. His mom came back in.

"Hey, mom."

"Hey, honey, what did Mrs. Duvall say?" He smiled,

" She wanted to thank me for trying to save Jeff and wanted to tell me that they were going to wait to have his funeral until I come back on leave again." She came over and sat on the bed beside him,

"Do they know that it could be almost a year?"

"I guess, but they said they would wait for me." He said.

"Well that's good then." she took a break,

"Can I ask you something?" He looked at her,

"Yeah, sure."

"What happened to Jeff?" He looked away and she quickly said,

"It's okay, honey, you don't have to tell me." He shook his head,

"No, it's okay."

He told her about Emma's phone call and trying to get Jeff out of his truck. He also told her about the telephone hole and it collapsing on Jeff's truck and his trip to the hospital. When he finished, she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry." He nodded and took a deep breath.

"It's okay." They sat there for a minute before they heard his dad call his mom,

"Megan!" She turned toward the door,

"What?"

"Come here, please!" She turned towards Ben."

"It's okay." He said.

She kissed him on his forehead and walked out and shut the door behind her. He laid back down and put his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, daydreaming. He thought about his day and couldn't fathom the fact that he would be headed back to the Air Force tomorrow afternoon. Before he came home on leave, his commanding officer had told him and Jeff that they wouldn't be returning to Edwards. They were going to be sent to Afghanistan.

He couldn't believe he had come home on leave with his best friend and he would be returning without him. He also thought about the conversation he had had with Jeff's mom. He also thought about Allison. Strangely, he wasn't surprised when Mrs. Duvall said that Allison had told her about him and what he did. He wasn't surprised because it seemed like something she would do. Granted, he barely knew her but, from what he could tell, she seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't say a mean thing about anybody.

He smiled and thought about her some more. He realized that he liked the fact that she had followed him out of the hospital and called him out on what he did. As he drifted off to sleep, the last thing he thought about was Allison.

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><p>When he awoke the next morning, his arm was hurting. He laid in his bed for a while, thinking maybe he slept on it wrong. After ten minutes, he figured maybe that wasn't it. He uncovered it and saw that it was cut and bruised. He realized that while everything was going on yesterday, he didn't even pay attention to his arm. It was cut from the middle of his arm all the way up to his shoulder.<p>

It hurt when he moved it and he decided to get on up. He went into the kitchen to take some pain medicine and his mom and dad were sitting at the kitchen table. His mom was reading the paper and his dad was sitting there, talking to her. His dad saw him walk in,

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" He walked to the medicine cabinet and took out three pills.

"Okay, I guess." He had actually hardly slept and, when he did fall asleep, he had nightmares.

"Good. Hey, we were planning on going to the grocery store, then heading to the battleship for a picnic, do you want to go?" His father asked. His mom looked up at him and saw him taking the pain medicine.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" He a glass of water and popped all three pills in his mouth and swallowed,

"Oh, nothing, I have a cut on my arm from yesterday and it just hurts a little bit." His dad looked up,

"What? You're in the Air Force, a little cut isn't anything." His dad said. His mom shot him a look,

"Hush, Mark. Come here, Ben, let me see it." He walked over to her and lifted his sleeve. The skin around his cut was severely bruised.

"Oh my god, Ben, what happened?" Exclaimed his mom.

"I don't know, like I said, I think it's from the accident. But, like dad said, I'm in the Air Force, a little cut isn't anything." His dad shook his head,

"No, Ben, this is serious. You need to go the doctor and get it checked." Ben immediately shook his head, thinking no way was he going back to a hospital.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine." His mom looked at him,

"Honey, I know why you don't want to go to the hospital. But you don't have to go to the hospital, you can go to the medical center. But you're going to one of them so pick." He sighed,

"Fine."

He took a quick shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. He grabbed his keys and walked out the door, not bothering to say good-bye to either of his parents.

By the time he got home it was almost 2:00. When he got home, his parents were sitting on the porch, drinking hot coffee.

"Why are ya'll sitting outside?" He asked, coming up the porch steps.

"It's nice out here. What'd the doctor say about your arm?" He lifted his sleeve and showed them that it was bandaged up.

"I had to get a tetanus shot and two other shots. I remembered that I cut it on Jeff's rusty mirror so I had to get the tetanus. And I was overdue for two other shots so they gave me those while I was there."

"Well, I'm glad you got it taken care of" His dad said.

"What are you going to do now?" His mom asked. He shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know, my arm is killing me. But, I promised I would spend my last day with you two. So, what do you want to do?" His dad shook his head,

"I'm kind of tired, I might head in and catch a nap before we take you to the airport." His mom piped in and said,

"I'm going to start cooking. I know you're hungry and we have to leave by 6 to get you to the airport by 6:30." He was surprised, but he didn't argue with them.

"Okay, I'm going to head to my room then."

"Okay honey, I hope your arms feel better." His mom said.

"Thanks."

He went into his room and sat on the bed. He looked in the corner and saw his electric guitar sitting there. As a teenager, he loved to play guitar. He went over and picked it up, putting the guitar strap around his shoulder. He plucked a few strings and tuned it up. He played a couple of songs he knew by heart and realized he still had it.

He put down his guitar and went into the living room and watched some television. He flipped between two shows- a fishing show and a hunting show. He loved to fish- they owned a small fishing boat and, usually, when he was on leave, him and his dad would go out in it and fish for an afternoon. Along with fishing, he loved to hunt.

He and his father were in a hunting club about thirty minutes away. Hands down, Ben was an outdoor person. He loved to fish, hunt, hike, four-wheel, water-ski, surf and basically any water sport. He liked water- skiing and tubing most of all. When he was in high school, him and his friends would take a trip down to White Lake and spend the day cooking out and being in the water.

After both programs were over, he turned off the television. His dad was asleep in the recliner and his mom was in the kitchen. It was nearing 4:00 and, with nothing else to do, he headed in his room to pack. He packed up his things and laid out his dark blue Air Force uniform. When he finished packing he sat on his bed and thought about his leave; it was definitely an eventful one. Some would call it life- changing. Ben decided he would have the outlook that as old doors close, new ones opened. Maybe by Jeff dying, another door was opened. Maybe one that would change his life, in more ways than one, good or bad.

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><p>After he finished packing, his mom called him and his dad both in the kitchen. His mom had cooked his favorite dish- Chicken Alfredo and corn on the cob. They ate mostly in silence. It was always quiet the day he returned back to the Air Force. His mom always took him going back hard- especially this time because he was getting shipped to Afghanistan. After dinner, he helped his mom wash the dished. It was nearing 6:00 and he went to his room and changed into his uniform. He got his suitcase and loaded it into his dad's car.<p>

Wilmington International Airport was about thirty minutes away and, as they headed there, his mom mostly looked out the window and him and his dad talked about why he was being shipped to Afghanistan.

"You might get to fly a couple of planes this time." His dad said.

"Yeah, hopefully."

He hadn't flown a plane in more than a couple of months. He had been on base studying books and going over mission plans for the last two months.

When they arrived, his dad parked the car and popped the trunk. Ben got his bag and threw it over his shoulder. They walked into the airport as he looked at his ticket and gate number. He didn't go through the terminal right away. He sat in the lobby with his parents for about fifteen minutes. His plane was scheduled to board at 7:00. At 6:45, he stood up and said,

"It's about that time." His parents stood up and his mom started to cry. His dad told him good-bye first.

"Bye, son." They hugged for a minute before his dad pulled away first. He put his hands on Ben's shoulders,

"Be safe, all right?" Ben nodded,

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Ben." He turned to his mom. She had tears running down her cheeks as she hugged her.

"Bye, mom, I love you." She started to cry harder,

"I love you too, Ben."

They hugged for a couple of minutes before Ben pulled away. He grabbed hi bag and threw it over his shoulder. He walked towards the gate and showed the woman his ticket. She looked at it and handed it back to him. He turned around and looked at his parents. His dad had an arm around his mom. Ben waved and they smiled and waved back. He turned around, went through security, and disappeared down a long hallway.

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><p><strong>Yo yo yo, so there's Chapter 4. Sorry if it wasn't that exciting, hey I warned you beforehand right? But, like I said, the next chapters will be exciting! So, until then! :) Oh yeah you can review it too. If you want.<strong>


	6. Chapter 5

**Pretty quick update! The next chapters will be up quicker because they are really exciting chapters and i'm eager to get them typed up. And i'm re-reading it as I type it. This'll be my second time reading it all the way through and it's been a while since I have so i'm just as eager as you! Enjoy! Oh and please review! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

The plane ride back to Afghanistan was boring. They played a movie but he kicked back his seat and tried to get some sleep. The time difference between Wilmington and Afghanistan was about nine and a half hours.

When he arrived on the base that he was newly stationed at, he recognized a couple of people he knew. One of his friends ran up to him,

"Hey, Ben." They shook hands,

"Hey, Matt." He knew the question was coming and he prepared himself for it. As if on cue, he looked around and asked,

"Where's Jeff? Weren't you coming back with him?" Ben looked away and nodded,

"Yeah we were supposed to come back together. But, umm, Jeff was in a car accident- he didn't make it." By then, a couple of more people came u.

"What?" Asked a fellow officer. Matt looked up at Ben and said,

"Jeff was in a car accident. He didn't make it, guys."

"Oh, man." A couple of guys said.

"When is the funeral?" One of them asked. Ben shrugged his shoulders,

"Whenever I go on leave again." One of the guys motioned to a building,

"I would request an emergency leave; they've probably heard about Jeff by now." Ben nodded,

"I will in a couple of days."

The base was centered in the middle of nowhere. There was sand everywhere- as far as you could see. He wondered why in the world they would build an air force base in the middle of the desert. He set up his room in the barracks and a couple of guys showed him around the base.

They showed him around the hangar and showed him all of the planes. Ben knew about every single one of them- he had studied so much about planes and aviation that he could name every one of the planes just by looking at them. They took him out back and showed him the runways. There were multiple planes flying and practicing. He wanted to fly one so bad. As if reading his mind, one of the guys asked him,

"Do you want to fly one?"

As he climbed into a F-16, he was sort of nervous. But, as soon as he climbed in, he felt right at home. He started up the engine, taxied it out onto the runway and, as soon as he got the "okay", he took off. He flew for about 45 minutes. It wasn't much of a scenery but he loved every second of it. He did turns, flips and barrel roles and everything he could think of. He looked down after 45 minutes and saw them giving the signal to land. He landed the plane perfectly and taxied back into the hangar. He got out of the cockpit and the three guys ran over to him.

"You are one heck of a flyer, Ben" One of them said.

"I'm impressed." Came a voice from behind them. They turned around and saw General Roberts standing with his hands together. They immediately saluted him and he saluted back.

"That is quite some flying you did there Mr. Carter." Ben smiled,

"Thank you, sir." He nodded,

"I might recommend you for the next mission, if you'll accept." Ben nodded,

"Thank you, sir, I'm sure I will."

The general nodded and saluted them. They saluted back and he walked towards the main building. One of the guys punched his arm,

"Nice going, Ben." He smiled,

"Thanks."

They headed back towards the barracks- he shared a room with Matt. When Ben went in the room, Matt was staring a picture.

"What's that?" He asked. Matt looked up,

"Oh, nothing. It's just a picture of my wife and kids. Do you want to see?" Ben nodded,

"Sure."

Matt handed him the picture and Ben looked down at it. His wife had brown hair and their two kids looked exactly like her.

"They take after their mom. They get their good looks from her, too." Ben smiled,

"Cute kids. How old are they?" He pointed to the oldest,

"Chris will turn seven in March." He pointed to the baby girl,

"Little Anna will turn two in August." Ben smiled again and handed him back the picture.

"What about you, Ben? You got a girl?" He shook his head,

"No." Matt shook his head,

"You need one, man. There's nothing like coming home to your wife, or girlfriend even. There's no better feeling in the world."

Ben laid on his bed, thinking about what Matt had said. Though he was happy, or at least thought he was happy, he thought about what would happen if he did get a girlfriend. For some reason, Allison's face immediately popped in his mind. Though he wasn't planning on going out with her- he barely even knew her- he couldn't help but wonder why her face came into his mind at that moment. He wasn't the kind of guy who just got with a girl because he was lonely or wanted some "female companionship" as Jeff had phrased it. If he was going to be with someone, he was going to be with them because he liked them and enjoyed spending time with them. He would never have a "one night stand" with a woman. He was turned off by the kinds of girls that would just throw themselves at any guy, and he was turned off by the guys that took advantage of girls.

He got up and took a quick shower and changed into his sweatpants and t-shirt. He laid back down and Matt asked him,

"So, are you going to request for an emergency leave?" Ben nodded,

"Yeah, I'm going to tomorrow."

"All right. Well, I'm going to head to bed, okay?" Ben nodded,

"Okay."

He looked at his watch and saw that it was 10:30 p.m. Afghanistan time and 8:00 a.m. Wilmington time. He was still operating on Wilmington time and he figured he would try to sleep, even though he wasn't tired at all. If he didn't go to sleep, he would be staying up at night and sleeping during the day. He laid there for a while, listening to Matt snore before he finally drifted off to sleep.

Ben woke up the next morning with Matt still snoring across the room. He got up and put on a pair of work out shorts and a t-shirt. Even though it was still February, it was 80 degrees in Afghanistan. He walked to the exercise building and spent a couple of hours working out. He ran on the treadmill and lifted weights. When he got back to the barracks, he took a cold shower and put on a pair of shorts and an air force t-shirt. While he was putting on his shirt, Matt walked in.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked.

"Nothing, I think I'm going to go talk to the general and ask for that leave."

"Okay, I'm going to head to breakfast, do you want to come? Ben slipped on his shoes,

"Yeah, sure."

They headed down to the cafeteria and sat down with a group of other guys. While they were eating, the intercom came on overhead. A deep voice said,

"Ben Carter please report to the main building immediately." The group of guys he was sitting with looked at him. Ben shrugged his shoulders and threw his breakfast away and started walking towards the main building. He wondered why he was being summoned and, when he walked in, General Roberts was sitting at his desk and an officer he saw when he arrived was sitting in one of the chairs. Ben went in and saluted them and they saluted back. General Roberts stood up and said, with a serious expression,

"Sit down, Ben." Ben sat down in a chair across from him.

"Is something wrong, sir?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

The general brought his hands together and leaned forward. He took a deep breath and Ben knew that something bad was coming.

"Ben, we got a call from Edwards Air Force Base. Your father called them and told them some pretty bad news." Ben's throat tightened. The general took another deep breath,

"Your mom was in a car accident. A drunk driver hit her." He took a break and Ben knew there was more.

"Your mom didn't make it, Ben. She was killed on impact." His stomach sank. He barely heard what else the general told him.

"We are granting you emergency leave. You'll be going back and you'll have two weeks. I'm so sorry, Ben." He stood up and Ben took it as his cue to leave. He saluted and the general saluted him back.

He ran on autopilot for the rest of the day. He didn't go back to the cafeteria, instead, he went back to his room and packed his things. His plane was scheduled to leave at 9:30 that evening. He packed his stuff and laid on his bed.

His mom was dead. The woman who had raised him; the woman he had seen just two days before was dead. He couldn't believe it. The tears he had tried to hold inside were coming to the surface. He laid there for the rest of the afternoon, crying. Matt came in later in the afternoon,

"Hey Ben, what's-" He looked around the room and saw that his stuff was packed.

"Why are all of your things packed?" Ben sat up,

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Why?" Ben tried to swallow the lump in his throat,

"My mom died." He finally said. Matt's shoulders slumped,

"What? Are you serious?" He nodded and Matt sighed,

"Were you granted emergency leave?" He nodded again and he asked,

"When are you headed home?"

"My plane leaves at 9:30. The general said the taxi would come pick me up at 7." Matt instinctively looked at his watch,

"Well, it's only 5:15. Do you want to come have a beer with me and a couple of guys?" Ben shook his head,

"No thanks, Matt." Matt stood up straight,

"All right, well, if I don't see you, then good luck with everything. And I'm really sorry about your mom and Jeff both." Ben nodded,

"Thank you."

They shook hands before Matt turned around and walked out, leaving Ben alone once more.

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><p><strong>Another sad chapter, i'm sorry :( The chapters after this will be happy ones, I promise! Except maybe the funeral ones, but they'll have happy parts of them! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review! :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello again! Here's chapter 6! I told you i'd be updating pretty quick, right? :D Does anyone even read these author notes, or am I just talking to myself... **

**Anyway, a special thanks to Taylor Swan for favoriting the story and me as the author! You rock! **

**Well, enjoy chapter 6! And please review. If you feel like it :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

At exactly 7:00, the taxi arrived and picked Ben up. A couple of guys he knew were staring at him when he got in the taxi. He didn't explain or even wave goodbye to them.

He barely remembered the ride to the airport, or his plane ride home for that matter- he stared out of the window the entire time. When he arrived at the airport in Afghanistan, he had used a pay phone to call his dad and ask him if he would pick him up in Wilmington. He said he would and they both avoided the subject of his mom. His dad sounded bad on the phone; he didn't ask any questions or try to engage in any conversation. He stuck to one word answers and their conversation lasted no more than twenty seconds.

While his plane landed in Wilmington, he walked through the gate and found his bag. He then walked through the terminal and immediately saw his dad standing off to the side. He walked over to him and they looked at each other for a minute. He put his bag down and his father hugged him. While he was hugged him, the tears started to come. When Ben started crying, his father started crying. They stood there for a minute, then Ben pulled away. They walked to the car in silence and their ride home was silent.

When they got home, Ben walked to his room and put his stuff down. He walked back into the living room and his dad was sitting on the edge of the couch. Ben sat down in the chair across from him. They sat together before Ben broke the silence,

"Dad, what happened to mom?" His dad sat there and Ben wondered if he had heard him, then his dad finally said,

"How much did your general tell you?" Ben shook his head,

"Nothing really. Just that she was in a car accident." His dad nodded and they sat in silence for a minute before his dad took a deep breath and started the story,

"Your mom found an old disposable camera in her room and she wanted to go and get the pictures developed. She wanted me to go with her but," He looked away and sighed,

"But I didn't go. She went to Wal-mart and I knew that she had been gone for too long. It never would have taken her two and a half hours to develop one pack of pictures. Especially since she gets the one-hour deal." He took a break, then started again,

"Anyway, the police called me and told me there was a accident involving your mom. I guess they found her cell phone and saw that I was listed as an emergency contact. They told me it was a pretty bad accident and that I should come immediately. She was on her way home and a drunk driver ran a red light and hit her." He swallowed and Ben could see tears starting to form in his eyes and Ben could feel them forming in his own eyes.

"When I got there, her car was up against the guard rail. I saw the police handcuffing a man and a paramedic came up and asked me if I was Mark Carter." His dad put his fist up to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. Ben sat up and put his arms on his knees and put his head down.

"I told them I was and I asked them where my wife was. They took me to an ambulance and told me that she died on impact."

His voice cracked on the last few words. They sat in silence and Ben felt tears fall down his cheeks. At first, they were tears of sadness, then, they turned to tears of anger. He clenched his teeth and got up and went to his room, leaving his father alone. He went to his room and slammed the door shut. He kicked his nightstand and a piece of paper fell off of it.

He picked it up and saw that it had Jeff's mom's number written on it. He debated whether or not he should call. He didn't want to have to go to two funerals on his leave. Eventually, he decided to call her- it would be rude not to when he promised her he would.

He walked into the living room to grab the phone and he saw his father wasn't in there anymore. Ben called his name and he didn't answer. He looked out of the window and saw that his dad's truck was missing. He started to worry but figured he needed some alone time-like Ben did. He grabbed the phone off of the receiver and walked back into his room. He dialed the number and sat on his bed.

He ended up talking to Jeff's mom for about five minutes. He told her that he was on leave and, against his first judgment, told her that his mother had died. She was, of course, very sorry and asked if she could do anything to help. He told her no and she said that she would call the funeral home and set the time and date for his funeral. They would be having it at Old Grove Church, just off of Highway 17. She told him she would call him back whenever she set the time and date.

He hung up the phone and laid down on his bed. He racked his brain for almost thirty minutes- Old Grove Church had sounded so familiar, but why? He laid there until he heard a car pull into the driveway. He got up and looked out of his window and saws that it was his father. He went and hung the phone back on the receiver as his dad walked in.

"Hey, dad, where did you go?" His dad hung up his jacket and keys,

" I went to the funeral home and set the day for your mom's funeral. I didn't know how long you were here for, so I went ahead and did the earliest date and time." Ben was surprised,

"Oh okay, when is it?"

"February 28th at 10:30." Ben nodded,

"Okay. Oh, and I'm home for two weeks."

"Okay." They stood there for a minute before his dad said,

"I love you, Ben." Ben somehow knew that he was saying it because he didn't get to say it to his mom before she died.

"I love you too, dad." His dad looked away and headed into his room and closed the door. Ben stood there for a minute before the phone rang. Ben went over and grabbed it,

"Hello?"

"Ben?" He recognized the woman as Mrs. Duvall.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Hi, I just wanted to call you and let you know that we set the date and time."

"Okay, when is it?"

"Well we did it at the earliest date possible. It's February 28th at 12:00." Ben shook his head and was about to tell her he couldn't do it that day. His mom's funeral was at 10:30 and there was no way he could leave her funeral and be at Jeff's at 12, but she continued,

"We tried to do it earlier in the day, but someone had just came in before I called and booked it at 10:30." Ben shook his head- no way could they have booked it on the same exact day at the same exact place.

"Mrs. Duvall can you hold on for a minute?" He asked.

"Sure."

He put down the phone and jogged down the hallway to his dad's room. He opened the door and poked his head in. His dad was sitting on his bed reading a magazine.

"Hey dad, can I ask you something?" His dad looked up and Ben could see tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Where did you book mom's funeral?" His dad put down his magazine,

"At a church called Old Grove; it's where your grandfather was buried. Your mom wanted to be buried next to him." His grandfather had been buried there- that's where he knew the place from. He shook his head in amazement,

"Okay." He closed the door and picked up the phone again,

"Mrs. Duvall?"

"Yes?" She answered.

"I'm back."

"Okay, so is that date okay?" He shook his head- he couldn't believe he would be going to both his mom's funeral and his best friend's funeral back-to-back, at the same place. He decided not to say anything though.

"Yeah, it sounds good. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you in a couple of days, then."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye, Ben." He hung up the phone and his dad walked into the living room.

"Who where you talking to?" Ben turned towards him,

"Jeff's mom."

He told him the conversation he had just had and told him that his mom had booked Jeff's funeral right after his mom's funeral at the same exact place. His dad couldn't believe it.

"Wow. What are the odds, huh?" He asked, without expression. Ben looked at him,

"Are you okay, dad?" His dad nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah, I'm going to bed though, okay?"

"Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He walked back to his room and shut the door. Ben walked back ho his room and sat on his bed. He saw a photograph on his dresser that wasn't there when he left for Afghanistan. He looked at it and it was a picture of him and his mom. He saw a note with it. He picked it up and it was from his mother. What is going on? He thought. He opened it and started reading.

_Dear Ben,_

_If you are reading this letter, you will have already been and returned from Afghanistan. I know I could have told you this face to face, but I feel that writing you a letter will let me tell you this without crying. You will probably have questions and I'll be waiting to answer them as best I can._

_I want you to know that I love you so much and I always will. God blessed me with an amazing child and I thanked him for you every day of my life. You mean the world to me and your father and I just want you to know that._

_Ben what I am about to tell you will be hard for you to handle. Know that I never meant to hurt you or your father. I'm asking you to keep what I'm going to tell you from your father. And I'm begging you to try and keep your emotions in check and don't do anything to your father because he loves you more than life itself. I was contemplating telling you this but I felt like you needed to know what has been going on. I'm so sorry for keeping this secret from you for so long._

_Two years ago, while you were away, I went to the doctor because I was having really bad headaches. They did some tests and I found out that I had a brain tumor. I know I told you that they were only headaches when you asked and, thought it was true, there was much more to it. _

_I never told you because I didn't want you to worry about me. You're in the Air Force- you didn't need any extra pressure on you._

_You're probably wondering why I decided to tell you now. I went to the doctor a couple of days ago while you were out with Jeff. They told me the tumor had gotten worse. They told me that I only had a couple of months to live and that I wouldn't see next February. So I decided to tell you now so you can ask me questions before it is too late. Please do not be angry with me or your father. I hope you understand why we didn't tell you. I'll be waiting to answer your questions. I love you so much._

_Mom_

When Ben finished the letter, tears were streaming down his face. He wanted to scream, punch something- anything. He balled up the letter and threw it on the floor. He put his head down and tears flowed for what seemed like forever. Why had she not told him earlier? He had so many questions like she knew he would. He couldn't ask her anything. He couldn't ask her any of the hundreds of questions he wanted answered.

He picked up the letter and straightened it out against his chest. He was mad, angry and, beyond that, he felt betrayed. He had been lied to for the past two years. He stormed down the hallway and was about to open the door and lash out at his father when he remembered what his mom said in the letter.

"_I'm asking you to keep what I'm going to tell you from your father. And I'm begging you to try and keep your emotions in check and don't do anything to your father because he loves you more than life itself…"_

He put his head against his father's door and took a deep breath. His blood was boiling and he wanted to bust down the door and demand answers from his father. But he didn't. One of his mom's final wishes was for him to not tell his dad. Why was that? He didn't know, and probably will never know, but he fulfilled her wish and walked back to his room.

He went to his room, locked his door and slammed it shut. He slammed the letter on his drawer and sat down on his bed with his arms on his knees. Why hadn't she told him before? Did she think he couldn't handle it? He couldn't believe they had both lied straight to his face for two years. He laid on his bed, a million things and questions running through his head. He eventually drifted off to sleep, with none of his questions answered.

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><p><strong>:( I know, I know, I know. I know I said no more sad chapters, but I had originally had more to this chapter but it was getting longer so I reduced it down to this. The next chapter will be kind of short, i'm sorry. But the chapters after that will be much longer! And, since I broke my previous promise, i'll give you a little bit of information about upcoming chapters! They'll be alot more romance between Ben and Allison :D So please stay tuned! I don't wanna give too much away! See you next chapter! PEACE.<strong>


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi! So I warned you beforehand that this chapter was short, right? I'm sorry :/ the next chapters will be much longer, I promise! I'm starting to get reviews in and they're making me so so happy! Thanks so much! Anyway, enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 7<span>**

The funerals were set for Thursday, February 28th. It was already Wednesday and Ben had done nothing to prepare for them. He still needed to go and buy a black shirt to wear. He had looked in his closet the day before and realized that he didn't have anything to wear.

It had been two days since he had found his mom's letter. Since then, he hadn't spoken one word to his father. He had tried to avoid him as much as possible. The only time they were remotely close to each other was when they ate dinner. His dad went to work before Ben woke up and he didn't get home until 4:00. Even when they ate together, they ate in complete silence.

He had honored his mom's last wish and had not said anything to his dad. It had been especially hard and he knew his dad was wondering what was up because they hadn't talked hardly at all the past two days. He knew he would have to face his father sometime, but he couldn't stomach doing it just yet.

While Ben was watching television, a commercial came on for Target. All of their button up shirts were ten dollars. Ben took that as a sign and reached for his keys. He rode out to Target and found a nice black, button-up shirt. When he got home it was already 3:45. His dad would be home soon and so he decided to head to his room.

He got his clothes that he was going to wear to the funerals tomorrow and laid them out on his char. He had to get up early and he tried to do everything he could to help himself out so he wouldn't be rushed in the morning.

He soon heard his dad pull up in the driveway. He didn't plan on being mad at his father forever, but he couldn't see how he could ever look at his dad the same way again.

A couple of hours later, he heard his dad yell that supper was ready. He walked into the dining room and his father was already sitting down eating. He made his plate and they ate their dinner in silence. After dinner, he went back to his room where the spent the rest of the night.

Ben's alarm clock woke him up the next morning at 8:00. He took a quick shower and went into the dining room to eat a quick breakfast. His dad was sitting at the table, already dressed, reading the newspaper. He planned to leave earlier than Ben to be there in case people showed up early.

Ben sat at the table with a bowl of cereal, figuring they would eat in silence, but his dad put down the paper and asked,

"Ben, is something wrong?" He simply shook his head and his father stared at him, wondering if he was going to say anything. When he didn't, he said,

"I know something's wrong; you've been completely ignoring me the last two days."

"You don't miss much, do you?" His dad raised his eyebrow,

"What is it, son? You can tell me anything. I know you're upset about your mom and Jeff, but don't pull away from me. You can't go through this on your own." Ben took a deep breath,

"I'm fine, Dad." His dad looked at him, knowing there was much more than what Ben was telling him. Before he had a chance to question him further, Ben got up, deciding he wasn't hungry. He put his bowl in the sink and walked down the hallway and into his room.

At 8:45, he heard his dad's car pull out of the driveway. It took around 45 minutes to get to Old Grove Church and Ben planned to leave at around 9:30 to get there at 10:15- the burial started at 10:30. The pastor planned to say a few words before they buried his mom. He figured it would last for about an hour and that would give him about thirty minutes before Jeff's funeral started.

They planned to have a memorial service before they buried him. His mom and dad were going to say a few words, along with some of Jeff's family members. They, they would head across the street where they would bury him.

He went to his room and put on his clothes. He put on a pair of black corduroy pants and a white t-shirt before putting on his black button up shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. Despite the fact that it was February, his skin was tan and his eyes looked bluer than normal. He turned away and went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. By the time he finished, it was 9:15. With nothing else to do, he figured he would head to the church. He slipped on his black shoes and headed towards the door.

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><p><strong>Yes I know... very short. But, the good thing is is that i'm typing up the next chapter right now! And it'll probably be up tonight! Or this morning... it's 2:00 in the morning and i'm sitting here typing listening to "Ignorance" by Paramore... amazing, amazing band by the way. If you haven't heard of them, check 'em out! Anyway, the next chapter will be up tonight this morning! See you then! :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**...Hello again :D I told you i'd have the next chapter up this morning! It's definately morning time now- 3:45 :0 i'm such a night owl. And i'm still listening to Paramore. But this time, it's Pressure. Amazing song, btw. Anyway, like I promised, this chapter is longer. And there's more Ben and Allison in this one :D I won't spoil it for you, so enjoy! And review! You know, if you want.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Old Grove Church was built in 1942. It was a small church that was started by a local family. It had withstood many hurricanes and the red bricks that made up the church had faded to a gray. The family had started the cemetery across the street and opened it three years after the church was built.

Behind the cemetery was a huge garden, full of flowers and trees of every kind. The family had also built the garden and built it as a memorial garden. When his grandfather was alive, he took Ben through the garden multiple times. He knew his way through the entire place and he knew a couple of places off of the path that few other people knew about.

He arrived at the church at around 9:15. It looked older than he remembered- there was moss on the bricks and on the cobblestone path that led to the door. When he got there, there was more people there than he expected there to be. His father's parents were already there and his aunts from his mom's side were all there.

He pulled into the parking lot, took a deep breath, and got out. They were all across the street and, as he walked over, he saw his dad standing with his parents. He walked over to each of his aunts and hugged them. He eventually made his way over to his dad and grandparents. He hugged them too and his dad went and talked to the pastor.

He stood there talking with them until 10:30. They started the burial and by the time they were all gathered around the burial site, almost all of his whole family were there- all of his aunts and uncles, from both sides, his grandparents and almost all of his cousins. There were also a lot of his mom's friends there, too. They were all gathered around his mom's coffin and the preacher began.

Ben stood beside his dad and his grandparents. At first, Ben was okay. But when he saw his mom in the casket, the tears started to come. The preacher talked most of the time and Ben looked around- there wasn't a dry eye on anyone's face. When the preacher finally finished, his father said a few words.

He talked about how they met and how he was incomplete until he met her. He talked about how much he loved her and how much he would miss her. When he finished, the preacher looked at Ben and asked if he would like to add anything. It was all he could do to swallow the huge lump in his throat and shake his head as they lowered her into the ground.

The funeral lasted for about an hour. When it was over, everyone came and hugged him and his father.

"I'm so sorry." Everyone told him. The preacher also came up to him and shook his hand.

"I'm sorry, Ben." Ben nodded his head and said, in a barely audible voice,

"Thank you." As people started to clear out, Ben stayed by his mom's grave. The tombstone said,

Megan Carter

B. August 27, 1952 D. February 23, 2004

Beloved wife, mother, daughter, and friend

Ben bent down beside it and picked up some dirt and let it run through his fingers. He then felt someone put a hand on his back. He turned around and saw that it was his father. His eyes were red and a couple of tears were still trickling down his cheeks as he asked,

"Are you okay?" Ben nodded as he stood up,

"Yeah." They stood together before his dad asked,

"So are you going to just stay here and wait for Jeff's funeral?"

"Yeah." He said, again. His dad nodded,

"Okay. Well I'm going to head home, all right?"

"Okay." His father nodded and turned around. Ben sighed and called out,

"Dad?" He turned back around and Ben walked up to him and gave him a hug. His anger at him had simmered down some, especially since they were both obviously hurting. They hugged for a few minutes and both had tears in their eyes. His father finally pulled away and said,

"I'll see you at home, Ben." He nodded and his father, once again, turned around and headed across the street to the parking lot.

Ben turned back towards his mom's grave- he was alone in the cemetery. He looked at his watch and saw that he still had twenty-five minutes before Jeff's funeral started. He knelt down again in front of his mom's grave.

"Hey, mom." He said. He felt a little strange but he needed to let this out.

"I want you to know that I love you so much and I always will." He said, reciting her letter.

"I'm sorry for not saying it enough. I wish you had told me. You thought I couldn't handle it or that I didn't need the extra stress, but you were wrong." His eyes started to water,

"There are so many questions I want to ask you. I wish you would've told me." He sat there for a minute before he said,

":I want you to know I'm not mad. I'm sort of upset, but I'm not mad at you." He smiled weakly and said,

"I love you so much, mom." He stayed knelt down when he heard leaves rustling behind him. He turned around and his heart jumped. He saw Allison walking across the cemetery. He stood up and looked at his watch; Jeff's funeral didn't start for another twenty minutes, if that was even what she was here for. Plus, they were starting across the street in the church.

When he stood up, she looked his way and noticed him standing there. She smiled and changed her direction and started towards him. He met her halfway. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a black sweater and black flats. When they got closer, she smiled,

"Hi, Ben."

"Hey, Allison." He replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

"How are you?" She asked. He shrugged one shoulder and said,

"Okay. How are you doing?" She shrugged one shoulder, obviously mimicking him,

"Okay." He gave a weak smile. She could tell something was wrong with him, but she didn't press him. Instead, she looked around and asked,

"What are you doing here so early?" He glanced away, wondering if he should tell her. He decided to and motioned over his shoulder, sighing,

"My mom died." Her face became sympathetic and she said,

"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry." He gave a weak smile and then she seemed to realize something.

"Were you here for your mom's funeral?" He nodded,

"Yeah." She raised her eyebrow,

"And you're going to Jeff's funeral, too?" He nodded again, looking away,

"Yeah." She looked surprised,

"Wow. It's an emotional day for you, huh?" He sighed,

"Yeah, it's been emotional already." Her expression turned sympathetic again,

"I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" He didn't want to, but there was something about her that made him want to tell her, but he decided later would be a better time. She nodded and he asked her,

"So what are you doing out here so early, too?" She looked at him curiously, then shook her head and laughed an embarrassed laugh,

"Oh, my grandma is buried here. I was just going to visit her before Jeff's funeral started." He nodded,

"Oh, okay." He expected her to turn and walk away, but she surprised him by motioning over her shoulder and asking,

"Do you want to come meet her?" He smiled and found himself staring at her,

"Sure."

They walked towards the back of the cemetery. She led him past a few newer headstones and finally stopped at an older one. She knelt down and picked up some flowers that had fallen over. She stood back up.

"Grandma, this is Ben Carter." She looked at him and nudged his shoulder,

"Say hi." He waved and said,

"Hi." She smiled,

"Ben, here, is in the Air Force." She took a break and then turned to him,

"She said thank you for your service to our country." He smiled,

"You're welcome." They stood together before he asked her,

"Were you close with your grandma?" She nodded and crossed her arms,

"Yeah, she was like my best friend growing up. I always confided in her and she was there whenever I needed someone to talk to." He looed at her and he could tell she was reminiscing. She saw him looking and he saw a tear in her eye. She swiped at it and sighed,

"I just miss her, you know? She died when I was twelve."

"I'm sorry." She gave a weak smile,

"It's okay. Pain heals with time. I just wonder sometimes if she somehow knows that I think about her and I wonder if she hears me when I talk to her." He smiled and leaned towards her grave,

"What's that Grandma Johnson?" He asked. Allison looked at him as he nodded,

"Yeah, I'll tell her." He turned towards her,

"Your grandma wants you to know that you're never alone and she's always watching over you, no matter what. She hears you all the time and wants you to know that she loves you very much." She smiled,

"Did she really say all of that?" He nodded,

"Yeah, she's pretty talkative once you get her started." She smiled again,

"Thank you." He nodded and turned around; the church parking lot was getting full. She followed his gaze and said,

"I guess we should head over there, huh?" He nodded,

"Yeah, I think so." He turned towards her grandma's grave and knelt down,

"It was nice meeting you, Grandma Johnson." He stood back up and she was smiling,

"What?" He asked. She shook her head,

"Nothing."

They turned around and started walking towards the entrance of the cemetery. They were walking close, but not close enough to accidentally touch. On their way back Ben said,

"I think your grandma liked me." She looked at him,

"You do, huh?"

"Yeah, I do." She nodded and looked at him again,

"Just to let you know, she's like that with everyone she meets." He held up his hands,

"The truth comes out." She nodded,

"She had a way of being nice to everyone she met and it made them feel like they were a part of the family. She never judged anybody, even if she had heard bad things about them."

"She sounds like a wonderful lady."

"She was."

They walked past the newer headstones and went through the gate. They crossed the street and into the busy parking lot. They walked among the cobblestone path and Ben held the door to the church open for her. She smiled,

"Thank you." He smiled and held the door open for a couple of more people and entered the church.

They walked into the lobby and there were tables lined up against the wall with photographs of Jeff placed on them. There were pictures of him as a baby, as a teenager, his senior graduation pictures, and of him in his air force uniform. There were also pictures of him and his family and him and his friends.

Ben and Allison walked along the dimly lit lobby. Up above was a big chandelier and, off to the left, were two sets of stairs that led up to the balcony. On the right were two entrances on opposite sides of the hallway that led into the sanctuary.

They were looking at the pictures when someone called Allison's name from behind them. They turned around and Emma was walking towards them. When she got closer, she hugged Allison and then noticed Ben. She smiled,

"Hi, Ben."

"Hey, Emma." She gave him a hug and he saw Jeff's parents standing in the corner, talking to someone.

"So, do you want to head in?" Emma asked. Allison looked at him,

"Are you ready?" He glanced over at Jeff's parents and the person they were talking to walked away. He looked back at Allison,

"Actually, I'm going to go talk with Jeff's parents before the service starts." She nodded,

"Okay. Do you want to sit with us?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind." She shook her head,

"Not at all. We'll probably sit on the right side, towards the back. We'll sit on the end so you'll have a seat." He smiled,

"Okay, thank you." She smiled and nodded and walked with Emma into the sanctuary. He walked towards Jeff's parents and his mom noticed him first. She smiled and extended her arms. She hugged him and said,

"Hi, Ben."

"Hey, Mrs. Duvall." He pulled away and turned towards Jeff's father and extended his hand,

"Mr. Duvall, I'm Ben Carter." Jeff's dad shook his hand,

"Nice to meet you, Ben."

"How are you?" His mom asked him. He nodded,

"Okay. How are you both doing?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"Trying to go on. It's hard sometimes, though. Did you just come from your mom's funeral?" He nodded,

"Yes ma'am." She shook her head,

"I'm sorry. It must be a rough time for you." He nodded again,

"It is. But, like you said, I'm trying to go on. My friend told me that pain heals with time. But yeah, it's taken a toll on me and my dad."

"I'm sorry. Give my condolences to your father for me." He smiled, weakly,

"I will. Thank you." Jeff's dad looked at her and said,

"Honey, we better head in there." She nodded and turned towards Ben,

"Well, we better go, and you better go get a seat." He nodded,

"Okay."

She hugged him and Ben shook his father's hand. They walked into the sanctuary and Ben took a deep breath before following right behind them.

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><p><strong>:D I love writing this story. I can't say that the next chapter will be up this morning too, especially since it's now 3:48... but i'll certainly be typing it when I wake up! Which will probably be 3:48 in the afternoon... Anyway, until next time! :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 9

**Whaa? Another update already? Gosh i'm good... I love typing this though, so i'm beasting at it. A special thanks to 0014 for the amazing review! You rock! I took your constructive criticism into account and I hope that it's shown in this chapter, and the following chapters! I'm always open to constructive criticism, it helps me become a better writer! Anyway, i've got to go get ready for church so I probalby won't be typing the next chapter until later tonight or tomorrow. Everyone knows i'm a night owl so i'll be up way late! Well, enjoy the chapter! A new one shall be up soon. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

As Ben walked down the aisle of the sanctuary, he saw Allison and Emma right where Allison said they would be. He went and sat down beside her and she looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and she turned towards Emma and talked quietly to her.

He found himself staring at her. He had never met anyone like her before. He continued to stare at her, then the preacher who had performed his mom's funeral walked on the stage.

The sanctuary was big; there were about twenty rows of pews and a huge stage. The instruments were huddled together on the left side and the choir seats were on the right.

When the preacher walked across the stage, everyone got quiet. Allison stopped talking to Emma and saw Ben looking at her. He looked away and looked up at the stage, but out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile and continue to look at him. He looked back over at her and they laughed quietly. A few people looked at them and they looked at each other and smiled.

The preacher walked to his podium and greeted everyone. He began by thanking everyone for coming and explained how the service was going to proceed. Jeff's mom and dad were going to up first, the his grandparents. Then, they would head over to the cemetery and bury him.

The preacher then talked personally about Jeff and how he had known him since he was a child. He had personally baptized him and watched him grow up in the church. Then his parents got up and walked on the stage. It was during their speech that everyone got emotional.

They walked on the stage and everyone could tell that Mrs. Duvall had been crying already. They got on stage and thanked everyone for coming. They talked about Jeff when he was a kid and how he grew up into the man that any parent would be proud of. When Mrs. Duvall said this, her voice cracked.

Ben looked around and almost everyone had tears running down their cheeks. Ben started to get tears in his eyes, as well. He looked over at Emma and Allison. Emma had tears streaming down her face and Allison had them flooding her eyes. She looked at him and they started at each other for a minute. A tears found its way down her face and she swiped at it.

His parents talked for about twenty minutes before they walked off of the stage. His grandparents walked on the stage and talked about how proud they were of Jeff and his accomplishments in the Air Force. He was their first grandchild and he was his grandmother's 'birthday present'; he was born two days after her birthday. They talked for about fifteen minutes and, when they walked off of the stage, Ben expected the preacher to come up on the stage and announce that they would be headed across the street to the cemetery. But, instead, Jeff's parents walked back onto the stage. His dad spoke first,

"I know you were all expecting us to go across the street to the cemetery, but we want to ask a favor of somebody." Jeff's mom took the microphone,

"One of Jeff's best friends is here with us today. He is in the Air Force and is home on leave for Jeff's funeral." Ben raised his eyebrow. Emma and Allison both looked at him while Jeff's mom continued,

"We want to ask Ben Carter to come up and please say a few words, if he will."

He was surprised to say the least; he hadn't prepared anything at all. He was thinking about what he was going to say when Allison nudged him. He looked at her and she motioned towards the stage and whispered,

"Go ahead." He got up and people looked at him as he walked up on the stage. His mom smiled and hugged him.

"Why didn't you warn me?" He whispered in her ear. She pulled away and shrugged her shoulders. His dad shook Ben's hand and they walked off of the stage. He walked to the podium and up to the microphone.

"Hi, everybody. I didn't really know I was going to come up and say anything, so…"

He looked at Allison and she saw him and smiled. He smiled and then started to talk about how he met Jeff and how he had been stationed with Jeff for the three years that he had been in the Air Force. He talked about the missions they had been on and the time they had spent together, both on base and off base when they came home on leaves. When he ran out of stuff to talk about, he decided to talk about the accident.

He told them that he was there the day of the accident and gave a quick explanation of everything that had happened, making sure not to say any names. He talked about Emma's phone call and his drive to Burgaw, Jeff's truck being up against the telephone pole and about the men who tried to help Jeff out of the truck.

While he was talking, he looked at the place where Allison and Emma were supposed to be sitting, but they weren't there. He looked around the sanctuary, but didn't see any sign of them.

By the time he finished, he saw tears in almost everyone's eyes. Ben had tears in his own eyes as the preacher walked back onto the stage and shook his hand. Ben walked back to his seat and, soon after, the preacher released them, saying they would be heading across the street.

He walked out of the sanctuary and back out of the lobby. They all walked across the street and off to the left side of the cemetery. They stood around the gravesite as the preacher began. As he said a few more words, Ben looked around again for any signs of Allison or Emma.

When the preacher finished talking, they lowered Jeff into the ground. Ben had tears in his eyes and a couple of them rolled down his cheek. He still hadn't come to grips with the fact that both Jeff and his mom were really dead.

The funeral lasted for about an hour. When it was over, Jeff's parents came up to him and thanked him for speaking back at the church and apologized for not warning him. They talked for a few more minutes before saying their goodbyes. His mom gave him another hug and his dad gave him a handshake. Multiple people also came up to him and thanked him for speaking as well.

He didn't leave just yet. He still wanted to visit with his mom some more before he headed home. When everybody had cleared out, he headed to his mom's grave. His mom's grave was on the right side of the cemetery so he walked across the lawn. When he got to her grave, he stood there and looked at it. She had been buried next to her grandfather, like she wanted, and a flood of memories came rushing back to him.

He remembered when he was little, his grandfather would take him fishing every Saturday. Ben went to school during the week and they went to church on Sundays. Ben hadn't been to church in a long time; it had been about five years since he had been.

He didn't like the church his family had taken him to before. He didn't understand what the preacher preached about and the music wasn't good at all. He knew that was no excuse- he could always go and try out different churches until he found one, but he never got around to it.

He continued to think about his grandfather and mother some more until he heard footsteps approaching. He looked behind him and, for the second time that day, he saw Allison approaching him. She had her arms crossed and, again, he met her halfway.

When he got closer, he could se that her eyes were red and a little swollen. Again, he hated to see people cry, but seeing Allison cry was harder on him. When they got close, she gave a weak smile.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"No, not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Can we later?"

"Sure." They stood together for a minute before he asked,

"Where did you and Emma go during the funeral? I looked for you when I was up on stage but I didn't see you." She sighed,

"Emma sort of broke down while you were talking about Jeff. People started to stare and I didn't want to distract them, so I brought her outside and talked to her, trying to calm her down." She shook her head and tears started to come in her eyes,

"He was just so young, you know? He didn't deserve to have that happen to him." Ben nodded and they stood together for a minute before she added,

"You know I've known Jeff for a long time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've known him since middle school. We never really talked until high school. We had a couple of classes together and we became friends. He met Emma during sophomore year. I introduced them; I had know Emma since elementary school.

They hit it off instantly but Jeff never made a move. She eventually got boyfriends and he had girlfriends and they just stayed friends. He never told me how he felt about her and she never told me how she felt about him until last week when we were driving to the hospital.

I knew they had feelings for each other, but every time I would ask them about it, they would just shrug it off and say that it wasn't true. Eventually, I believed them. I guess I figured if they really did have feelings for each other, one of them would have eventually made a move." She sighed,

"Anyway, I've been trying to comfort her since we left the sanctuary."

"Where is she?"

"She left. She said she needed some time alone, so I stayed and I saw you standing here so I came over." He smiled and then decided to change the subject. He motioned over his shoulder,

"Do you want to meet my mom? And my grandfather?" She smiled,

"I'd love to."

He led her back to their graces and introduced her to both his mom and his grandfather. He told her about the memories he had with both of them and she listened attentively. When he finished, she smiled and said,

"They sound like amazing people. I wish I could have met them."

He looked at her and she still seemed sad and upset. He remembered the garden in the back of the cemetery.

"Have you ever been through the garden that's at the back of the cemetery?"

"No, I've heard about it though. I've always wanted to go through it, but I never have."

"Do you want to go right now?" She looked at him,

"Right now?"

"Yeah, why not?" She looked at him for a minute, then smiled,

"Okay."

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><p><strong>Hmm a walk through the garden sounds good to me... :) Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be up soon. Oh! and i'm going to get a laptop today, so the updates will be coming even faster! Is that even possible? Yes it is! See you then! Oh and you can review it. If you want. :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 10

**Whoop whoop, managed to get this chapter up before the day ended! Heidi's on a roll. You know that laptop I was talking about last chapter? I went and got it! :D It's da bomb and i've been on it for like the past 5 hours. It came with a built in webcam so I skyped with some of my friends for like four hours and then I started typing this up. The only downside to the word program on here is that it doesn't have spellcheck D: but, fortunately, i'm somewhat of a good speller so I think I won't have too many spelling errors. Like I know the difference between they're, their and there. That's one of my pet peeves. **

**Anyway, i've gotten alot of questions as to who I picture when I talk about Ben and Allison and, instead of answering them all individually, i'll answer them in the author note! I picture Ben as Channing Tatum, not because he was in Dear John, but because of the fact that he's just so gorgeous... :D And I picture Allison as Leighton Meester. Of course, she's in Gossip Girl, she was in Country Strong, The Roommate and in the new movie with Selena Gomez. I think it's called Monte Carlo? I haven't seen it. And strangely, I had no idea she was in Gossip Girl, I don't watch it, I just seen her in Country Strong and absolutely loved it. **

**If you don't like them or picture Ben and Allison looking different, that's totally fine with me. I'm in no way telling you this is what they look like, this is just what I picture them looking like. It's entirely up to you to picture them however you want. But this is the longest author's note ever, so I won't keep you any further. This chapter is kinda long, but it's pretty good :D Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

He led her towards the back of the cemetery, where a set of wrought-iron gates were. When they reached it, he pushed them open and led her down a long path.

"How far is it?"

"Why? Are you tiring out on me already?"

"No." She said quickly,

"I was just wondering."

"The entrance is up ahead to the right."

She nodded and they continued to walk to the spot where he had pointed to. When they got to the entrance, there was a sign that said 'Old Grove Memorial Garden, est. 1945.'

"Wow, this is an old place."

"Yeah, they built it three years after the church opened. It's a huge place. Are you ready?" She smiled,

"Yeah, let's go."

They entered the garden and all around them were flowers of almost every color. Allison looked around in amazement,

"Oh my gosh."

"I told you it was huge."

"How big is it?"

"About two acres." She raised an eyebrow,

"Wow. We're not going through the entire place, are we?

"No, I just want to show you a couple of spots." She smiled and motioned towards the path,

"Lead the way."

They walked on the path that wound its way through the entire garden. They walked in silence for a while; Ben was letting her take it all in. There were flowers of almost every color and trees of every kind. There were tons of birds, too, and they could hear frogs and grasshoppers chirping. They walked on the path for a while before she said,

"Wow, this is amazing."

"Yeah, my grandad used to take me through it all the time when I was young." They continued to walk before he remembered something.

"Here, let's go off of the path for a few minutes." She looked at him,

"What?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"We won't get lost will we?"

"No, no, no, I promise." She still looked doubtful and he added, again,

"I promise."

"Okay."

He led her off of the path and they walked for about five minutes before they heard rumbling.

"What's that?"

"You'll see. We're almost there."

They walked for a few more minutes before he said,

"All right, it's just around this corner."

They rounded the corner and they came upon a huge waterfall. It was almost three stories high. Allison stared in amazement. He looked at her and smiled,

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's amazing."

"Let's go to the top."

"The top?"

"Yeah, or at least to the middle platform right up there."

"I don't know..." He nudged her shoulder,

"You going to chicken out on me?"

"I'm not chickening out I'm just concerned for our safety." He smiled,

"Thank you, but I won't let anything happen to you." She looked at him and smiled,

"Okay."

"You want to do it?"

"Yeah, I trust you." He smiled,

"Alright, let's go."

He led her up a stairway of rocks they had to climb to get to the platform. It only took a couple of minutes but, halfway up, she was lagging behind. He stopped and waited for her,

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just wait a second."

He smiled and she got stuck for a minute. He extended his hand out to her and she smiled and took it. He was helping her up to where he was when she liped on a rock and fell in his arms. He caught her and she looked up at him. They smiled and she stood up and smiled embarrassedly.

"Thanks." He cleared his throat,

"No problem. Do you want to keep going?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They finally reached the platform and he went out to the edge of the rock. She stood far behind him,

"Ben, what are you doing?"

"Come here, come look." She crossed her arms,

"I can see fine right here."

"Come here, please."

She thought about it for a minute, then slowly came towards him. She stopped and looked out below. There was a pool of beautifiul blue water and, in the distant, was a rainbow of colors. She new they were the flowers that were in the garden and the tops of the hundreds of trees. She smiled,

"Wow, this is amazing."

"Yeah, I love it here."

They stood together, admiring the view, before he asked,

"Do you want to go swimming?"

"What?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

"Ben, it's February." He shrugged his shoulders,

"So? It's not cold out here. And, besides, it's the end of February."

He took both of his shirts and shoes off and his pants, leaving on only his boxers.

"Ben, don't."

"Why not? Come on."

"It'll be cold."

"Please?" She looked at him and he said,

"Well i'm going." He then dived off of the rock as he heard Allison yell his name. He re-appeared a minute later and saw her standing at the edge of the rock.

"Come on!"

"I don't know!"

"Please? It's not cold!"

She stood there for a second, then took off her sweater. She had on a tank top and she slipped off her shoes. She left her pants on and took a couple of steps back. He smiled and saw her run and jump off. She landed with a splash and popped back up a couple of seconds latre. She came up smiling,

"That was fun!" He smiled,

"I told you. And it's not cold, is it?"

"No, not at all."

"I told you." She splashed him,

"Don't rub it in." He laughed and splashed her back.

They splashed each other and laughed for a long time before they heard footsteps in the woods. They stopped and listened for a minute,

"What was that?" Allison whispered. They heard footsteps start to approach them adn Ben moved in front of Allison, prepared to protect her. She looked at him, then at the woods and, a few seconds later, a security gaurd stepped out.

"Excuse me, what do you two think you're doing?" Ben stammered a little bit,

"Uh, nothing, sir, just going for a swim." Allison looked at him and smiled. The gaurd, however, wasn't amused.

"Well noone is supposed to be back here. I'm going to have to ask you both to wrap it up, okay?"

"Okay, thank you, sir."

The gaurd nodded and walked back into the woods. When they didn't hear any more footsteps, Allison burst into laughter. He looked back at her and she continued laughing. He smiled,

"What are you laughing at?" She continued to laugh until she regained herself.

"Ooh, i'm sorry, that was hilarious."

"What was?"

"The look on your face when that gaurd came out." He smiled,

"Well I had to deal with him by myself; you didn't help me any."

"Well you stood in front of me, so I took that as a sign to not say anything." He scoffed, playfully,

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

He smiled and splashed her. She laughed and they splashed each other for a few minutes before Ben immediately stopped. He held out his arm,

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Shhh..." He whispered. She wore a nervous expression.

"Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Lean towards the woods."

She leaned forward and focused her eyes on the woods. He went behind her and then did a huge tidal wave with both of his arms, drenching her. She whipped around and splashed him,

"God, Ben, that wasn't funny!" He laughed,

"I had to get you back."

"For what?"

"For making me handle that officer by myself." She smiled,

"Whatever. You scared me though, I thought a bear was coming or something." He went under for a second, then popped back up. He shook his head,

"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." She smiled and her teeth started to chatter.

"Are you cold?"

"Yeah, i'm starting to get a little chilly." He motioned towards the rock,

"Alright, let's go."

They swam towards the shore and she lipped on her sweater and shoes. He put on his pants and handed her his black button up shirt. She looked at it and shook her head,

"No, you keep it."

"No take it, i'm not cold." She still looked at him and he said,

"Take it, please." She finally took it and slipped it on while Ben put on the white t-shirt. They started walking back towards the path and a few minutes later she said,

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"This, today, everything." He smiled,

"You're welcome."

"Thanks for dealing with that officer, too."

"No problem. I could've taken him anyway" She laughed,

"I'm sure you could have." She took a break, then said, seriously,

"I don't think I could be in the Air Force." He looked at her,

"Why not?"

"Because you have to do all of those missions you were telling me about and shoot down planes while being worried about someone shooting you. I would be so scared all of the time."

They eventually got back on the path and started making their way out. They continued to walk past flowers and trees of every color and kind. The frogs had continued to croak, also. He finally replied to her statement,

"It's not that bad. Yeah it can get pretty intense in the heat of the moment, but 80% of the time it's quiet, or at least somewhat quiet."

"I still don't think I could do it."

They continued to talk about the Air Force and talked about other things, as well. She asked him what he liked to do and he told her mainly outdoor things, especially hunting, fishing, four-wheeling and water-skiing.

"Oh, i've always wanted to go four-wheeling. And fishing."

"You'e never gone fishing?"

"Nope, i've always wanted to, I just never got around it."

"I can't believe that. I guess i'll have to take you one day." She smiled and nodded,

"Okay. You promise?" He smiled,

"I promise."

"Good."

They walked for a few more minutes, then came back to the entrance. They walked out of the garden and she stopped and turned around, looking back at it.

"That was such an amazing place."

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

"Thank you for taking me. And showing me the waterfall; that was my favorite part."

He smiled, wondering if she meant because of the waterfall itself or the fact that she had had a good time with him, as he did with her.

They walked back into the cemetery and he said a quick good-bye to his mom while she said a quick goodbye to her grandma. They both went to Jeff's grave and stood at it for a minute before turning around and walked back towards the gate. While they were walking, he was that his truck was the only car in the parking lot.

"Did you drive here?" She shook her head, embarrassedly,

"No, I don't have a car."

He knew there was more to it based on the way she had said it. She obviously didn't want to talk about it, so he avoided it,

"Do you need a ride home?"

"I don't want you to have to go out of your way. I'll just take a cab." He waved it off,

"No, i'll give you a ride, you don't need to take a cab. Besides, you don't know if it's out of my way or not." She still looked unsure.

"Why would you pay somebody to take you home when i'm offering for free?"

"Because you're still sort of a stranger."

"A stranger? You've spent the whole day with me. And before today as well. How am I a stranger?"

"I don't know, I still don't know you that well."

"Well you don't know anything about the driver of the cab, do you?"

"Not really."

"I rest my case." She thought about it, then smiled,

"Okay." He smiled, too,

"Alright, let's go."

They walked out of the cemetery and walked across the street and into the empty parking lot. When they reached his truck, they both got in and he started the engine. He pulled out of the parking lot and she directed him to a long road. While he was driving he asked her,

"So, you don't really know me, huh?" She smiled and shook her head,

"Not really."

"Well, i'm in the Air Force of course, i'm 23, my birthday is July 14th and my favorite radio station is," He turned it to a modern rock station,

"This one."

She smiled and she recognized the song. She stared singing quietly and, as it neared the chorus, she began to sing louder. He looked at her and smiled. She continued to sing before the song ended She looked at him and he smiled. She smiled, too,

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"You don't like my singing?"

"Of course I do, you're a good singer."

"Don't lie." He laughed,

"You really are a good singer. Have you ever thought about auditioning for anything?" She laughed,

"Okay, let's not over do it."

"I'm serious, you're a good singer."

"All right."

"Okay, don't believe me." She looked at him,

"You really think i'm a good singer?"

"Yeah, I really do." She smiled,

"Well, thank you."

They rode in silence for a while, past dozens of houses. Allison finally said,

"Okay, you're going to take the next right." A few seconds later, he made the turn and turned onto another long road.

"I told you it was a long drive."

"No problem. I offered anyway, right?" She nodded and turned to face him in the seat,

"So, what else do you like to do?"

He told her that he was mainly an outdoor person, but he was happy to just sit and watch a movie or play a board game. She also told him what she liked to do. While she was talking, she told him to take two more lefts. He found out that she liked going to the beach and she often volunteered at her church as a helper in the nursery. He smiled and was about to ask her something when she said,

"All right, we're almost there. At this stop sign take a right." He approached the stop sign and slowed down and took a right.

"Okay my house is right up here on the left. It's the one with the black mailbox and white volvo. Do you see it?" He nodded and slowed the truck and pulled into the driveway. He turned the truck off and they got out.

When he got out, he looked at her house. It was a nice two story brick house with white shutter and a brown oak door. They yard was very well kept and he could see a little garden off to the side with a birdbath in the middle of it. He walked her up to the door. She turned to him,

"Thank you for today."

"You're welcome."

"I had alot of fun." He smiled,

"I did, too. But, again, you didn't help me with that security gaurd." She rolled her eyes, playfully,

"You're still on that?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

They stood together awkwardly and Ben knew their time together was about to end. He wanted to see her again and figured it was now or never. He cleared his throat,

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" She looked at him,

"Nothing, why?"

He shuffled his feet. He couldn't remember he last time he had felt nervous around a girl.

"Well you said you wanted to go fishing, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to go tomorrow morning?" She smiled,

"Sure. What time?" He exhaled, realizing he was holding his breath,

"How about around ten?"

"Okay, sounds great."

"All right."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay." She smiled,

"Goodnight, Ben, and thank you again for everything."

"You're welcome. And goodnight." She smiled and walked inside while he turned around and walked off of the porch and back to his truck. When he opened his door, the turned towards the house and Allison was standing in the doorway. She smiled and waved and he waved back. She went in and closed the door and he got in his truck and backed out of her driveway.

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><p><strong>XD How adorable, they're getting closer. I'm going to try and keep updating every day, but I have work five days a week, coupled with other stuff that i'm doing, but I know that there's people who are here, wanting to read this, so I'm going to try my best to update every day. I owe it to you guys, you're all so fantastic :D Hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter! And you know what's coming next. I say it at the end of all my author's notes. Please review. :D<strong>


	12. Chapter 11

**So i'm keeping good at updating every day! I went back and read the last chapter and saw that there were a bunch of spelling errors. So I went over to Microsoft and installed the word program and I get that shizz for free for 60 days! So no more spelling errors! :D As for this chapter, it is kind of short and I have a question for ya'll at the end. But, for now, please enjoy! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

As he drove back to his house, he tried to find things that he could remember so he could find his way back to her house tomorrow morning. It was sort of hard because she lived in the country and there were fields on all sides of her house.

As he drove down the road, he noticed a small mini-mart, then a couple of miles down, he surprisingly saw a Wal-Mart.

Even though he had lived in Wilmington all of his life, he had never been out this way before. This wasn't even considered Wilmington; he guessed it was part of Castle Hayne. His family had never really been anywhere on vacation.

He continued to drive down the road and noticed a gas station and fast food place in one and he remembered to take a left here at the stop sign. He drove down another long road and knew he could remember how to get to her house from here.

He guessed that her house was about twenty minutes from his. It would be a lot longer, but Ben knew some roads that would get him there quicker and would let him bypass a lot of stoplights that would slow him down.

As he drove, his mind kept going back to Allison. He was no doubt attracted to her but it was more than that; he liked spending time with her. When he thought about how the day started and how it ended, it was like night and day. He started the day sad and depressed but, right now, he felt…happy.

He was still mourning over the loss of his mom and Jeff and he figured he always would be. He realized that when he spent time with Allison, he didn't feel the pain and sadness that he had felt just that morning. He smiled for no reason and realized the reason was her.

Again, he liked spending time with her and he liked her facial expressions whenever he made her laugh or smile or whenever she got nervous. His entire ride home he thought about his day with Allison and he looked forward to their day together tomorrow.

He finally got home and it took about twenty minutes. When he pulled into the driveway, his dad's car was there. He saw a light on in the kitchen and he looked at his watch and saw it was 5:30. He had totally lost track of time and realized he had spent almost six hours with Allison.

As he walked in the house, he saw his dad in the kitchen and debated whether to go in there or just walk to his room. He was still angry with his father but he wasn't as angry as he had been. He felt a little guilty for coming home late and making him worry, especially after how his mom died. He decided to go in and at least let him know that he was home. He walked in there and his father turned around,

"Hey Ben, I was starting to worry about you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry; I ended up showing Allison the garden behind the cemetery that Grandpa took me through when I was little. Do you remember?"

"Yeah, is Allison the girl you met when you went and had lunch that day?"

"Yeah she's- she's something." He said, smiling. His dad just stood there and Ben added,

"I'm actually taking her fishing tomorrow morning- she's never been. Can you believe that?"

"No." Ben could tell something was wrong,

"Are you okay, dad?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The oven went off and his dad turned to cut it off and asked, without turning around,

"Do you like her?"

"Who, Allison?"

"Yeah." He thought about her and realized he already knew the answer,

"Yeah, I guess I do. I don't really know her but I'm hoping to get to know her-" His dad turned around and interrupted him,

"You're in the Air Force, Ben."

"Yeah, so?"

"You're home for two weeks. You don't need to be starting anything with this girl."

Ben was shocked at his dad's comment and at the way he was acting. His face looked mad and his voice was madder and deeper than usual.

"Dad, calm down. You're acting lie we're getting married or something. She's just a friend."

"Ben, come on. You think that you can have a long-distance relationship with this girl?"

"Dad, what is your problem? You're reading way too much into this. I just spent a couple of hours with her."

"And you're spending tomorrow with her, right?"

"Yeah, so what? I'm just taking her fishing." His anger was rising. His dad shook his head,

"Don't lead her on, Ben."

"What are you talking about? You don't even know her! Have you even been listening to what I've said? I told you we are just hanging out."

He didn't give his father a chance to respond. He went to his room and shut the door. He sat on his bed and wondered what his dad's problem was- he didn't know what he was talking about. He recalled what his dad had said and realized he was right about one thing- he was only home for two weeks. He suddenly became sad; even though he barely knew her, he knew he would never forget her. She had come into his life and he wasn't sure he wanted her to go out of it.

He lay on his bed and decided he wouldn't dwell on what his father said. He thought about what they needed for tomorrow. He decided to get up and make sure that he had everything he needed. He walked down the hall and his dad was still in the kitchen and Ben walked past him, not saying anything to him.

He walked out of the back door and headed to the backyard to the shed. Their things were scattered haphazardly around the place, but he went straight to the fishing poles and tackle boxes. He tested the fishing poles to make sure they still worked and looked in the tackle boxes and saw that they were out of bait. He locked up the shed and got his keys.

He got in his truck and pulled out of the driveway. The radio station was still on the one him and Allison had listened to on the way to her house and the song that she had sung was playing again. He smiled and remembered her voice as she sung. The part that she had sung came on and he recalled the softness in her voice. He wasn't lying when he said she had a good voice and that she could sing.

His trip took the bait shop took less than fifteen minutes and he was home by 6:45. When he got home, his father was still nowhere to be seen and he had no intention of talking to him. His dad had overreacted and he had no reason to go and apologize.

He walked to his room and turned on his radio. He recognized the song and saw his guitar in the corner. He picked it up and played the rest of the song on his guitar. He knew the next few songs and played for about fifteen minutes. When a song came on that he didn't know, he cut off is radio and played a couple of songs he knew by heart. One was Bring It On Home by Led Zeppelin and the other was Back In Black by AC DC.

He liked almost all kinds of music but his favorites were classic rock and modern rock. He mostly played classic rock songs on his guitar and, after he finished playing those songs, he put his guitar down and came to the conclusion that he was pretty good, not great, but pretty good. Led Zeppelin was one of the best rock bands of all time and he could play a lot of their songs pretty well.

He looked at the clock and saw it was 7:30. He got in the shower and put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. By 8:00, he was laying in the bed. When he had gotten home from the bait and tackle store, he had gone back to the shed and put the bait in the tackle box and grabbed the two fishing poles and put them on the front porch.

He was looking forward to their day tomorrow and he was looking forward to seeing Allison again. He thought about her and fell asleep, with her on his mind.

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><p><strong>So, yes, it was kind of short, but the next chapter will be longer! And I had written this chapter in my composition book and I was actually going to delete it and just go to where he goes and gets Allison and takes her fishing. So, as for that question, do you guys like the chapters in-between like this one? Where it talks about what he does at home and his relationship with his dad? Or do you just like the Ben and Allison stuff? I like the relationship with his dad personally and that's why I put this chapter in, but I just wanna see what you guys think. As you can probably tell, it's going to be a really long story and I'm planning on deleting stuff from my original so it won't be quite as long. Anyway, the next chapter will probably be up tonight! Oh and please review! :D<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**I know... I didn't update last night. My bad. But! To make up for it, I made this chapter really long! Whoop whoop. Hope you guys like it!**

** MzMickey0014: Haha they are, aren't they? :D And you're so right, the reviews give a huge push! Thanks so much for the review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

He woke up the next morning at 9:30. He took a shower and put on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. He checked the local weather to make sure it wasn't supposed to rain-which it wasn't- and then grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

On his way to Allison's house, he was kind of nervous, but didn't know why. He was excited to see her, but forced himself to keep from going over the speed limit. He had left earlier than planned and he didn't want to show up early and make her feel rushed.

He remembered the things that stuck out yesterday and finally spotted her house and pulled into the driveway. He walked up to the door and decided to knock instead of ringing the doorbell. Even though it wasn't too earl, he didn't know if her parents would be up yet. He knocked on the door and stepped back. He waited for a minute, and then debated knocking again, but he soon heard the door unlock and Allison opened the door. She smiled as she stood there in a pair of jeans and a white tank top.

"Good morning." He couldn't help but smile, too.

"Good morning." She motioned to her outfit,

"Is this okay? To fish in, I mean?"

"Yeah, you look great."

"Thank you." He smiled, clearing his throat,

"Well, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me go tell my parents I'm leaving."

"Okay."

She disappeared inside and then re-appeared a few seconds later. She closed the door,

"Okay, I'm ready."

"All right, let's go."

They walked off of the porch and headed to his truck. He opened the door for her and she smiled and said thank you. He walked to the other side and started the truck. As they drove down the road and he asked,

"So your parents are okay with you coming with me?"

"Yeah, I told them they had nothing to worry about." He looked at her,

"Really?"

"Yep. But they know where I'm at and who I'm with so if I go missing they know I'm with you." He laughed,

"Don't worry; we're just going down to Kure Beach. They have nothing to worry about."

"Good. So where exactly are we going?"

"We're going to the Kure Beach pier. It won't be that busy, it's the off-season and there aren't any tourists." She nodded,

"Okay." They sat together before he asked her,

"So, what else do you like to do, except going go to the beach and volunteering for your church?"

She thought about it and then told him that she liked to read and she was interested in astronomy. She had taken a couple of astronomy classes in high school and it really got her interested. She would sometimes go to the beach and just lie on the beach and look at the stars. She also told him that she liked to play the piano, sing, bowl and just relax and spend time with her family and friends.

She asked him some basic questions like what his favorite color was, what his favorite restaurant was, his favorite song- which was Kashmir by Led Zeppelin- and his favorite kind of music. He, in return, asked her all of these questions, too.

Her favorite color was green, her favorite restaurant was Chili's and her favorite song was The Cave by Mumford and Sons. Her favorite kinds of music were alternative rock and Christian and her favorite movie was Steel Magnolias. They also talked about their childhoods

He found out that she had an older sister; her parents had met in high school and were still crazy in love, even after twenty-five years of marriage. She had made straight A's throughout high school and graduated in the top ten of her class.

He told her that he had played football freshman and sophomore year and quit because of his grades. He debated whether or not to tell her about him being a rebel his junior year and then finally decided to. There was something about her that made him want to be completely honest with her. With any other girl, he would have told her anything to impress her, but with Allison that wasn't possible.

He told her about falling into the 'wrong crowd' and doing anything that would make him look cool, which explained the tattoos on both of his arms. He drank regularly and stayed out late, partying.

"Wow, you were pretty rebellious, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I was."

"I would have never guessed." He looked at her,

"Why?"

"I don't know; you just seem nothing like that now." He smiled,

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>They continued to drive and made their way through Wilmington and headed towards Kure Beach. They talked some more, then Allison must have recognized a song on the radio,<p>

"Oh, can I cut this up?"

"Sure."

She leaned towards the radio and turned the volume up. She started singing immediately and he recognized the song. He rolled down the windows and cranked it up even more. She looked at him and smiled. She sang even louder and Ben joined in. The song was Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival. They sang the rest of the song in unison and when the song ended, another one came on that they knew. They sung that one together, also, and when that one ended, a commercial came on. He turned it down and she was smiling,

"That was fun" He smiled,

"Yeah, it was. I thought you only listened to Rock and Christian?"

"I do, but I grew up on these songs. My dad loves classic rock and whenever I rode with him in his truck, we would always listen to it. We still do actually."

"That sounds nice."

"It is." She turned towards him in the seat,

"So tell me about your father." He suddenly got a lump in his throat,

"My father?"

"Yeah, you know about my parents; I don't really know anything about yours." He cleared his throat,

"Well his name is Mark and, along with my grandfather, he was my best friend growing up. We did almost everything together and I spent almost all of my time with him." She smiled,

"He sounds nice."

He shrugged his shoulders, thinking how rude his father had been. He was talking about her when he knew nothing about her. He had only spent yesterday with her and the day of the accident, but he knew he had never met anyone like Allison before. She was one of the nicest people he had ever met. She saw him shrug his shoulders and she asked,

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, maybe another time." She smiled,

"That's what you said yesterday at the cemetery. When I asked you if your day had been emotional, you said yes and I asked you whether or not you wanted to talk about it and you said maybe another time." He smiled,

"I did, didn't I?"

"Yep. Do you want to talk about that?"

He didn't really want to but, again, there was something about her that made him want to be completely honest with her. He wanted her to know him and he didn't want to hide anything from her. He took a deep breath and began the story.

He told her about his mom dying and his trip back to the U.S. He then told her about the letter his mom had written him and the picture that she had left on his dresser. She was the first one he had told his mom's letter about. When he finished telling her, she wore a sad expression,

"I'm so, so sorry, Ben."

"It's okay. A certain someone told me that pain heals in time." He nudged her shoulder and smiled. She smiled as well and they drove together in silence for a while. He drove through Monkey Junction, a part of town before you got to the bridge that led to the beaches.

Monkey Junction was named for a historical event. When the local zoo was close to the only thing that was down there, a lot of monkeys had somehow escaped from the place and, since then, everyone had begun calling it Monkey Junction. Ben told Allison this and she was impressed. He shrugged his shoulders,

"My grandpa was a history buff."

"You know I've never been to the zoo?"

"What?"

"Nope. Not just the one down here, but anywhere." He smiled and shook his head,

"What else have you not done that you want to do?"

She thought about some things for a minute, and then started naming them. She wanted to go to the zoo, the aquarium and the battleship.

"Whoa, wait a minute; you've never been to the battleship?"

"No. Everyone has that reaction by the way." He smiled,

"Sorry. But how have you never been to the battleship?"

"I don't know. My parents just never took me."

"I'm going to have to have a talk with your parents, then." She smiled and nudged his shoulder,

"Don't be rude. They're just not that kind of people." He smiled,

"What kind of people are they, then?"

"You know if you're walking or driving down the road and you look at a house and you see two older people, or even younger people, sitting in their rocking chairs and just enjoying each other's company?" He nodded and she continued,

"That's the kind of people they are- the kind that can just sit and be content and there not be an awkward silence I'm kind of envious. They seem to be just as happy now as they were twenty years ago." He smiled,

"Okay, I don't have to talk to them, then." She laughed and he continued,

"No, they sound like really nice people."

"They are."

He was about to say something else but, as they drove over Snow's Cut Bridge, she looked down with her head almost in her lap. He looked over at her,

"Are you okay?"

"Are we over it yet?"

"What the bridge?" She nodded and he drove a little faster to get off of it,

"Okay, we're off."

She looked up and took a deep breath. He looked at her and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye and laughed, embarrassedly,

"Sorry, I'm just kind of scared of bridges?"

"Don't be sorry, everybody's afraid of something."

They rode for a half of a mile and he slowed the truck. He pulled into a lot in front of a big sign over the pier that said 'Kure Beach Pier.'

"Alright, you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

He parked the truck and got out the tackle boxes and fishing poles. They walked up to the pier and paid the man a couple of dollars and they headed onto the pier. He led her down towards the end. Ben was right- the pier was dead. As they walked, they passed about five other fishermen; ones that you could tell came and fished regularly. They stopped a couple of feet before the very end of the pier.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah, this is great."

"Okay, now we have to bait the hooks."

"Okay, just tell me what to do." He smiled,

"If you'll hold your rod, I'll bait it for you."

She nodded and he handed her a rod. He reached into the tackle box and pulled out a shrimp that he had bought the day before. He grabbed the hook on her line and put the shrimp on it.

"Alright, you're set."

"Thank you."

"No problem just let me bait mine really quickly and I'll show you how to cast it out." He baited his hook and then put his rod up against the railing.

"Okay, this is how you do it. You see this little button here?"

"Yep."

"Alright, well you hold it down and then bring it back over your shoulder and, when it gets right in front of you, let go of the button." He demonstrated for her and the line went flying out in from of them, over the railing and into the water. She smiled as he handed her the rod,

"Thank you."

"No problem. But, be sure when you reel it back in that no one is behind you before you cast it back out. You could hook them with your hook and it wouldn't be a pretty sight." She laughed as he grabbed his rod and repeated the procedure he had shown Allison and cast his line into the ocean.

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><p>It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The pier was about nine hundred feet long- it was one of the longest piers in North Carolina. Ben estimated that they were about 800 feet down and they were all alone in their spot.<p>

They were standing behind the railing and, from their viewpoint, the view was beautiful. To their left was the beach; it was almost empty. There were a couple of people walking and holding hands, but that was it. The water was as blue as could be and they saw seagulls flying up in the air. One of them swooped down into the water and came up with a fish. Off in the distance there was a boat with a parasail on the back of it.

Even though it was only 11:00 in the morning, the sun was blazing and it was already getting hot. The high for today was supposed to be eighty degrees, but Ben knew it would get higher than that. They stood together before Allison broke the silence,

"Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted to do more than anything?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well the things I told you about were just basic things. What I really want to do is fly." He looked at her,

"Really?"

"Yep. That's why I was so interested to hear you talk about being in the Air Force. Ever since I was a little kid I've wanted to fly, just over the ocean. It's like my dream." He smiled,

"That's an amazing dream. And I can tell you from experience; it's something you would never forget. Maybe you'll get a chance to do it one day." She smiled and was about to say something when her rod began to bend.

"Ben, what's happening?" He put his rod down and went to her side,

"You've got a bite."

"What do I do?"

"Reel it in!"

She started reeling and he stood by her side. She looked nervous and he looked over the railing to see if he could see her line.

"Holy cow, this is heavy." He smiled at her choice of words,

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes, please."

He stood behind her and placed his hands above hers on the rod. He tried not to make it too awkward but he didn't know how else to help her. As he stood behind her, he felt nervous. Allison was unlike any other girl he had met before. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way. When he moved behind her, he asked,

"Is this okay? I mean I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She smiled and shook her head,

"It's fine. Thanks for asking."

"All right, pull!"

She pulled and he started reeling it in and even he had difficulty with it. 'Wow, this is a big one.' He thought. He continued to reel it in as Allison continued to pull on it. They finally saw it come over the railing. They stopped reeling and they looked at the line as it landed on the pier. Ben said, in a disgusted voice,

"Oh my god."

On the reel was a huge clump of seaweed. She looked at him and then busted out laughing. He smiled and laughed,

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm sorry, that was hilarious. We did all of that and it turned out to be a big clump of seaweed." He laughed,

"Well let's hurry up and throw your line back in there so you can catch a fish."

They stood together, fishing and talking and laughing for almost twenty minutes before Allison's rod began to bend again. This time, she knew what that meant and immediately called his name. He turned to her and told her to reel it in, just like they had before. She reeled it in and, a couple of seconds later, the line came over the railing and a little guppy was flopping around on the pier. Allison jumped back,

"Oh my god, Ben, get it!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Get him! He's going to die!"

He leaned down and grabbed the hook out of the fish's mouth and released it. He grabbed him and stood back up. Allison was still standing back as he asked,

"Do you want to see him?"

"No, just throw him back."

"Come here; come see your first fish."

She looked at him for a minute, and then slowly came towards him. She stood in front of him and looked down at her fish. He was breathing heavily and there was a small, bloody hole where the hook had been.

"Awe, Ben, throw him back, please."

"Why? He's your first fish."

"So, I don't want him to die." He smiled and lifted him up to her face,

"Don't you want to kiss him first?" She put her hand over her face and backed up,

"Eww, that's disgusting!"

He laughed and ran towards her. She ran down the pier and he chased her until she yelled back to him, laughing,

"Ben, stop!" She slowed down and he stopped chasing her. He laughed,

"Come on, he just wants a kiss before I throw him back."

"I am not kissing that fish."

"Alright, how about this? If you kiss this fish, I'll buy you a Britt's donut." She looked at him, obviously thinking about it,

"Mouthwash, too?"

"Mouthwash too." She walked towards him,

"I can't believe I'm doing this." He smiled,

"Go ahead; you're getting a Britt's donut and a bottle of mouthwash out of it."

She wrinkled her nose and closed her eyes. He smiled again and lifted to fish to her lips and she opened one eye. She quickly gave him a peck and then immediately wiped her lips,

"Eww that's disgusting!"

He laughed and threw the fish back over the rail and into the ocean. He smiled at her and she looked at him and wrinkled her nose He grinned and she finally smiled at him as they walked back to their spot.

They continued to fish for the next hour. They talked and laughed together and, after an hour of not catching anything, they paced up their stuff and made their way off of the pier. While they were walking, she nudged his shoulder,

"So, are you going to buy me that Britt's donut?" He smiled,

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yes you did."

"Do you want it right now?""

"Yes I would." He laughed,

"Okay, let's go then."

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><p><strong>Isn't Ben just so sweet, I wish they made guys like him now :D Hope you guys enjoyed it! Almost done typing the next chapter so it'll be up in mere hours! Holla back. Oh, and as always, please review!<strong>


	14. Chapter 13

**...i'm back :D I was right, I did update in mere hours! Go Heidi. Here's another long chapter fresh off da Microsoft Word. Do you guys like long chapters? I try to use the bar to kind of split it up into sections, but it's still long as crap. I can shorten them if you guys want to. I personally like long chapters, you get more bang for your buck! And I don't like leaving cliffhangers haha. Well, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

They made their way off of the pier and the man who Ben had paid earlier told them goodbye as they walked off. When they got to his truck, he put the tailgate down and put both of the rods in the bed of his truck. He closed the tailgate and fished the keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and Allison put the tackle box in the back seat. When she went to get in, Ben opened the door for her. She smiled and said thank you as he walked to the driver's side and got in. She started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Britt's Donut Shop.

Britt's Donut Shop opened in 1939. Started by the Britts and Wrights, the donut shop has long been the cornerstone of the Boardwalk area in Carolina Beach. Mr. Britt sold the shop and the secret recipe for making the donuts in 1974. Bobby Nivens, a long time Britt's employee, purchased the shop. Since then, the Nivens family has cooked up and served hundreds of thousands of donuts to people from all over the state and, in some cases, the country. Despite the fact that it was a little hole-in-the-wall place, Ben thought they were the best donuts in the world. And thousands of people would probably agree with him.

It only took them a couple of minutes to get to the boardwalk. When they parked, they walked around the building to the entrance. When they walked inside, there were a couple of people sitting in booths lining the wall. They ordered two donuts and the cashier grabbed them off of the roller and placed them into a bag. He paid the cashier and they sat down in a booth along the wall. He reached into the bag with a napkin and pulled out and donut and handed it to her,

"Be careful, it's hot."

"Okay, thank you."

They ate their donuts and talked for almost a half an hour. He finished first and he sat and waited for her to fishinst. He saw her start to rush and he raised his hands,

"Hey, you don't have to rush; take your time." She smiled,

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem, besides, this is nice."

"Yeah, it is."

They continued to sit and talk, long after she had finished. He knew their time together was coming to an end. He had already taken her fishing, which was all that they had planned to do. He had stalled for time by promising her a donut and he thought about some stuff they could do around the beach. He suddenly thought of something.

"Have you ever been to the hermit's house down here?"

"The what?" He laughed,

"I'll take that as a no. There's a house down at Fort Fisher where this hermit lived. Well, it's not really a house; it's more like a bunker."

"Is he still alive?"

"No, he's been dead for a while now." He took at small break, then asked,

"So, do you want to go?"

"Yeah, sure. It sounds interesting. How far away is it?"

"It's about a twenty minute walk from Fort Fisher." She looked at him,

"Twenty minutes?" He smiled and nodded and she eventually nodded as well,

"Okay, I'll go."

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><p>They got up and threw all of their stuff away before walking back to the truck. As they drove down to Fort Fisher, he told her about the history of the hermit. He had decided to leave his wife and kids and become a hermit. He moved down to Carolina Beach and built his 'hut' far away from everyone, hence the twenty minute walk. He lived in his hut for thirty years before he died. When he finished, she said,<p>

"Wow, I can't believe that. I couldn't imagine leaving my husband and kids to live out in a bunker in the middle of nowhere." He smiled,

"Me neither."

They finally reached Fort Fisher and he pulled into the parking lot. They got out and they headed towards the path that was on the right side of the parking lot. They started their walk as they passed a small sign beside the path that said "Fishing Pier- two miles; Hermit's House- one mile." It was still hot outside, but there was a nice sea breeze so it wasn't that bad. They walked past trees and bushes and continued to walk on the path and across a small bridge. While they walked, they talked about their selves and he learned even more about her. He learned that she was thinking about going to college for nursing.

"Why nursing?"

"I've always been interested in medicine. I don't know, I'm also thinking about getting into pediatrics, you know, children doctors? I love working with children and I love helping people and nursing them back to health."

"That sounds nice. Where are you going to apply?"

"Probably UNCW; I checked out some of their brochures and went on their website and saw what classes they're offering. I think I'm going to apply there first. As a matter of fact, I better get an application and send it to them. The earlier the better, right?" He smiled and nodded,

"Absolutely." She looked at him,

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing." She smiled and nudged him,

"What is it?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulder,

"It's nothing; I just like talking to you." She laughed,

"I hope so, because we're still a half a mile away." She pointed to a small sign and, a few steps later, the 'forest' opened up to the dunes. To their left was the ocean and, in front of them, the path disappeared. Allison looked at him,

"You know where we're going right?"

"Yeah, we keep walking and the path will appear again."

They kept walking and, as Ben said, the path appeared. They got back on it and they listened to the roar of the ocean and waves breaking. They walked over a really long bridge. Allison was sort of nervous but he assured her that she would be fine. As they walked across it, she stayed close to him and Ben had to admit that he didn't mind it. He wondered if she would increase the distance between them when they stopped off of the bridge and he was disappointed when she did.

They continued to walk and talk; they talked about the most random things, but Ben loved every second of it. He liked to hear her talk about her pet peeves, which were people with bad table manners and people who don't use a turn signal. She talked about her time in high school again; her friends, teachers and how quickly her four years had passed by. She still recalled who she had sat beside at commencement, which she didn't consider a big accomplishment considering she threw her cap only a year and a half ago. They continued to talk and laugh before Ben said,

"Okay, we're almost there; it's just over this little bridge and around that corner."

They crossed the bridge and rounded the corner and came up on a big building that was covered in moss. There were no windows and there wasn't a door; just an open doorway. To the right of the building was a big sign that had the history of the hermit along with his picture. She looked at the building,

"Wow, this is really cool."

"Do you remember all of that stuff I told you about him? It came from reading this sign." She laughed,

"Can we go inside?"

"Yeah, of course."

They went in and looked around. It was completely empty and the walls had graffiti all over them; people had written their names and the date they had been there.

"It's kind of crowded, isn't it?"

"Yeah, he must've been very claustrophobic." He laughed,

"Do you want to sign our names?"

"I don't want to write on his walls; this is his house."

"Allison, he's been dead for almost fifteen years."

"So? It's still his house. Besides, we don't have a pen."

"Yeah we do; they keep a pen in here somewhere. It's for whoever wants to sign it when they come here." She thought about it for a second, then said,

"Okay, but if we get charged for graffiti, I'm blaming you." He laughed,

"Okay."

"So, where's the pen?"

"I don't know, it's around here somewhere."

They looked around for a minute before Ben found it. He picked it up and wiped the dirt off of it. They found an unoccupied spot on the wall and signed it 'Ben Carter and Allison Johnson, February 2004.'

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><p>When they finished signing it, they walked out and read the sign before they left. They went back around the corner and over the little bridge and started their way back to this truck. While they were walking, she looped her arm through his,<p>

"That was fun, thank you." He smiled,

"You're welcome; I'm glad you liked it."

They continued to walk and talk as they made their way back to his truck. She continued to walk beside him, with her arm looped through his, until they approached the long bridge. She withdrew her arm, but still walked closely beside him. When they crossed it, she stayed close, but didn't loop her arm through his again.

The sand was getting hard to walk in and Allison stopped and used his arm to balance on as she slipped her sandals off. As she bent down, he tried not to stare at her. With her blue jeans and white tank top, he knew she was the most beautiful person he had ever met. It was more than the fact that she was attractive; she had a smile and a laugh that was infectious to everyone that was around her. He loved spending time with her and he knew right then, staring at her, that he would never forget her as long as he lived. She stood back up and looked at him,

"What?" He smiled and shook his head,

"Nothing."

They continued to walk and made their way into the 'forest' again. They finally made it back to the parking lot and he unlocked the door as he opened it for her. She smiled, like she did every time he did it, and he got in on the driver's side.

"So, do you want to stop at the Food Lion right up here?"

"For what?"

"Your mouthwash, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right." He smiled,

"You forgot about it, didn't you?" She laughed,

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"How did you forget kissing your first fish?" She laughed again,

"I don't know. I still can't believe I did that."

"I can't either. I'm sure that today was the best day of that fish's life, though."

She smiled as they pulled into the Food Lion parking lot. During the tourist season, it would have taken tem at least twenty minutes to get there, but with the roads empty, it took them right under ten.

He pulled into a parking spot and they got out. They walked in and went to the aisle that had the mouthwash. He let her pick out the mouthwash and he walked up to the register. The cashier looked at him as he placed it on the conveyor belt.

"Is this it?" He looked at Allison and she chuckled. He turned back to the cashier,

"Yes, ma'am."

She sighed and shook her head as she rung it up and placed it in a bag. He paid for it and grabbed the bag as they walked out. As they walked across the parking lot, Ben nudged her shoulder with his,

"I hope you're happy."

"What do you mean?"

"That girl gave me the evil eye." She laughed,

"Aww, I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"Oh I should? I remember you offering to buy me mouthwash if I kissed that fish." He smiled,

"Oh yeah, I did. Was it worth it?"

"What? Kissing that fish?"

"Yeah; you got a Britt's donut and a whole thing of mouthwash for it." She thought about it for a minute and then nodded,

"Yeah it was worth it." He laughed,

"Good."

It was definitely worth it to him; it gave him more time to spend with her.

* * *

><p>They left the Food Lion and drove for a little bit before reaching Snow's Cut Bridge. When they got on it, he could tell that she was trying to put on a brave face. Eventually, she ended up putting her head down, almost I her lap. He looked at her and saw that she had a painful expression on her face. He could somehow tell by her expression that it was more than just being scared of bridges; she had a complete fear of them.<p>

He wondered if something had happened to her to make her feel that way. Even though he wanted to know, he didn't ask her. If she wanted him to know about it the she would tell him, on her terms, not his.

When they got off of the bridge, she took a deep breath and looked up. He knew she felt uncomfortable, so he changed the subject,

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" She smiled, obviously grateful that he had decided to drop it.

"Well, considering it's almost 5:00, and I'll take almost 45 minutes to get home, I'll probably just eat dinner and spend time with my parents. I haven't seen them all day. How about you?"

"I don't know. I'll probably eat something and lay down I'm kind of tired, you've kept me out all day." She laughed,

"Hey, it's not my fault, you're the one who wanted to walk to the hermit's house and go to Britt's and Food Lion."

"But I had to take you to the last two; it was part of the bet, remember?"

"What about the hermit's house?" He shrugged his shoulder,

"I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to spend more time with you."

She smiled and they rode in silence for a while. They went through Monkey Junction and made their way down Carolina Beach road and through Wilmington. While they were riding, they talked the entire time. She asked him what he liked to do while he was home on leaves and he told her that he could play the guitar. She was surprised,

"Really?"

"Yeah, I played last night actually."

"Awesome, are you any good?" He laughed,

"I think I am."

"I might have to judge that for myself." He looked at her,

"You want to hear me play?"

"Sure, I love the guitar."

"All right, I'll play for you sometime."

They continued to drive and started to reach the country where Allison lived. He passed the gas station and fast food restaurant in one and he knew the mini-mart was coming up and, a few seconds later, he was proved right. He saw the black mailbox and the white Volvo parked in the driveway of her house. He pulled in and turned off the truck as they got out. He walked her up to the door and she turned to him as they stopped in front of it.

"I had a really good time today." He smiled,

"I did too."

They stood together a little awkwardly before he asked her,

"So what are you doing tomorrow? I was thinking maybe I could take you to the aquarium since you've never been." She smiled,

"I would love to, but I can't. I promised my parents I would spend the day with them and I have to go and run a bunch of errands." He nodded disappointedly,

"Oh okay." She nodded and he was trying to think of something to say, but she beat him to it,

"Well, what are you doing on Sunday?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Would you like to come to church with me?

He was a little surprised; he hadn't been to church in almost five years. The preacher at his old church preached in an old-fashioned way and Ben rarely understood was he was talking about. Not to mention he, as well as everyone else that went there, was older than 80.

"Well I haven't really been to church in a while."

"It's okay, you'll like it; there are a lot of young people and the music is really good. Plus, the preacher is really young; he's only 34 but he's smarter and wiser than a lot of older people." He smiled and nodded,

"Okay, I'll go. And I would have said yes anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I haven't gone in a while." She laughed,

"Okay, it starts at 11. Do you want to meet me there?"

"Sure, where is it?"

She told him exactly how to get there and told him to be there around 10:45.

"Okay, I'll meet you there, then." She smiled,

"Okay, and thank you for today, Ben."

"You're welcome. I had a great time."

"I did, too." They stood together for a second before she smiled,

"Goodnight, Ben."

"Goodnight."

She turned and went inside and he walked off the porch towards his truck, smiling to himself.

* * *

><p>Driving home from Allison's was like waking up from a good dream. When he spent time with her, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. He was disappointed he wouldn't see her tomorrow, but excited about the fact that he would see her Sunday.<p>

When he got home, his father was sitting in his recliner watching television He walked in the living room and his father stood up,

"Ben, where have you been?"

His tone wasn't mad or angry, but concerned. He felt guilty for not telling his father where he was. He had an excuse of course; he didn't have a cell phone, nor did Allison. But he could have used a pay phone, or asked someone at Britt's if he could use their phone.

"I'm sorry, dad. I took Allison fishing and to Britt's donuts. And you know the hermit's house, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I showed her that, too." His dad nodded and an awkward silence filled the room.

"Listen, dad-"

"Ben, I-"

They both spoke at the same time and they laughed, his dad speaking first.

"Ben, I'm sorry about last night. I never should have said those things about Allison."

"It's okay. I'm sorry for yelling at you, I was out of line." He smiled and waved it off,

"It's all right." Ben expected him to ask about his day with Allison, but, instead, he said,

"Well, I'm going to bed, okay? There's chicken and rice on the stove if you want some."

"Okay. Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, Ben."

He watched his father walk down the hallway and turn and go into his room. He knew there was something still bothering his father, but he didn't know what it was.

He ate some of the chicken and rice his dad had cooked and then took a shower and put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He went in the living room and laid down on the couch. He turned on the television and flipped through the channels before deciding on a cop show called the First 48. While he laid there, he put his hands behind his head and thought about his day with Allison.

The show finally ended and he flipped through the channels twice before cutting off the t.v. and going to his room. He laid down on his bed and his mind kept wandering back to Allison. He didn't know what was going to happen, but, laying there in his bed, he knew, without a doubt, that he was falling in love with a girl named Allison Johnson.

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><p><strong>Oh shooot, we're finally starting to see some true feeling rise up! How sweet. And Ben's relationship with his father seems to be getting back on the right track. But what's up with Allison and her fear of bridges? :0 looks like we'll just have to wait and see! I honestly didn't really like the beginning part of this chapter, but towards the end I started to like it. I don't know why, I just wasn't satisfied with what I came up with, but I had re-wrote it about five times and decided this was the best version. I had to get the part about Allison wanting to be a nurse in there, because that comes in later. So remember that! :0 I just gave away a part of my story. Oh well, you're welcome! What do you guys think it means? :D Hope you guys enjoyed it! See you next chapter! <strong>


	15. Chapter 14

**Wow, im back already. This is my third update today. Ya'll seriously have to give me some props for that :D But all of the credit goes to you, I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for all of you fantastic people out there. Your reviews are all so amazing, both the public ones and the private ones you send me. Reviewing is the most important thing you can do as a reader, I think. I always review people's stories when I read them, even before I started writing. I wanted them to know that I truly enjoy their story and that they weren't just typing for nothing. Hopefully, you guys will continue reviewing for me! I appreciate them so so much. Well, enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

His alarm clock woke him up at 8:45 on Sunday morning and he had to force himself to get out of bed. Only then did he remember why he was getting up that early in the first place. He smiled and got up and went into the kitchen. His dad was sitting at the table, reading the paper,

"'Morning, Dad."

"Good morning, Ben."

He poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table. When he finished eating, he went to his room and changed into a pair of workout shorts and a t-shirt. He told his dad that he was going out for a run.

It was another warm day as he jogged around the neighborhood. Ben loved to run; while he was in basic training in Texas, they got up at 5:00 each morning and ran 5 miles. He also liked to lift weights; whenever he was mad or upset he would run or lift weights. It helped him release his anger or work out his sadness. He ran around the neighborhood, running past the neighborhood park and waving to people in their yards or on their front porches.

He ran yesterday morning, as well. He didn't see Allison yesterday; she had said she was going to spend time with her family and run some errands. He ran errands of his own; he went to Lowe's and got some parts to fix his truck. His transmission filter needed to be replaced and Ben knew exactly how to fix it.

Before he joined the Air Force, he worked as a mechanic in an auto and repair shop. He could fix almost any car or truck and he fixed cars as a side job when he was on leave sometimes. After he replaced the transmission filter, he went surfing for the rest of the day.

He loved surfing; his uncle had taught him when he was twelve and he had been doing it ever since. Yesterday, the parking lot was almost full and there were a ton of people there. Most of them were sitting in their beach chairs, trying to gain back the summer tans that the winter had taken away. There were children playing on the water's edge and there were about fifteen other surfers who had had the same idea he had. After he surfed, he went home and had dinner with his dad and then went to sleep.

He ran around the neighborhood for about forty-five minutes before he came home and took a shower. He went to his room and tried to pick out something to wear. He suddenly realized that he had no idea what he was supposed to wear. He didn't know if he was supposed to dress formally or casually. He didn't want to show up to a formal church dressed casually and he didn't want to show up to a casual church dressed formally. He decided to dress formally; better safe than sorry.

He picked out a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue button-down shirt. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 10:25; he had to meet Allison at 10:45 so he grabbed his keys. As he was walking out of the door, he realized he was sort of nervous. He didn't know why, it was just church after all, but he still had butterflies in his stomach.

* * *

><p>He followed Allison's instructions and reached the church at about 10:40. He pulled into the parking lot and it was almost full. He finally found a parking place and parked and got out. He looked at the church and to say it was big was an understatement. It was a huge white building that looked more like a movie theatre than a church; he wasn't about to go in judging, though.<p>

He looked at people walking by and saw that they were wearing shorts and short-sleeves and tank tops. He shook his head, thinking how bad he was going to stand out. He began to walk towards the front of the church; Allison had promised to meet him in the front so they could walk in together.

He approached the entrance and saw Allison standing there in a yellow sundress. He smiled and walked up to her. When she saw him she smiled and said, enthusiastically,

"Hey!"

"Hey."

"You look nice." He smiled,

"Thank you. You look nice, too."

"Thank you. Well, are you ready to go in?" He took a deep breath,

"Yeah, let's go."

The service was better than Ben thought it would be. The music as really good and, while they were singing, he looked at Allison out of the corner of his eye and watched her sing. He listened to her voice and thought again how good she was.

After they were done singing, they sat down and a young guy came out and spoke about upcoming events. He talked about the church's small groups and that they were holding an orientation for a program that helped people start their walk with God. Then, he announced that, on the upcoming Thursday, they were holding auditions for singers, guitar players, and drummers. He nudged Allison's shoulder and motioned up on the stage and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

When he finished talking, he asked everyone to pray with him. Everyone bowed their heads and, when he was finished praying, walked off of the stage and another young man came out and greeted everybody. Allison nudged his shoulder and whispered that he was the preacher.

He preached for about forty-five minutes. Allison was right; despite his age, he was one of the wisest people Ben had ever heard. He preached in a way that you could understand what he was trying to say. He preached about the story of Jonah and when he was done, he asked everyone to pray with him. When he finished praying, he thanked everyone for coming and sat it there would be people down at the front if anyone needed prayer.

Allison stood up and smiled as people began to file out. He followed her out to the front where he had met her earlier that morning and stood off to the side so people could get out.

"So, how did you like it?"

"It was good; really good, actually. I liked it a lot." She smiled,

"Good, I'm glad." He nodded and decided it as now or never.

"So, what are you doing later?"

"Nothing I don't think; why?"

"Well, I was reading the newspaper yesterday and I saw an article about the aquarium releasing a sea turtle they've been helping recover from an accident. They're doing it this afternoon and it's open to the public. I was wondering if you wanted to go. She smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I'd love to." He smiled,

"Okay, it starts at 1:45."

"All right, that sounds fun. Can you give me an hour to go home and change though?"

"Absolutely, I have to change, too; somebody forgot to tell me that I could dress casually." She laughed,

"I know I'm sorry. I thought about it this morning while I was getting dressed and I felt really bad." He smiled and waved it off,

"It's okay. But there were more than a couple of people staring at me when I walked up."

"I can see why; you look handsome." He smiled,

"Thank you. Well, I'll pick you up in an hour." She nodded just as someone called her name from behind. She turned around and he saw a young girl that looked around their age come up to them and say, to Allison,

"Hey, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I was just telling Ben bye." She turned back to him,

"So, I'll see you in an hour?" He nodded and she said,

"Okay, bye, Ben."

"Bye."

He smiled as she turned to walk with her friend and he turned and headed back to his truck.

* * *

><p>It took him about fifteen minutes to get home. He walked to his room and changed his clothes. Since it was a warm day, he changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He ate some lunch and watched a little TV. before he grabbed his keys and headed out of the door.<p>

It took Ben exactly twenty minutes to get to Allison's house. He walked up to her door and rang the doorbell. He waited a minute and hoped she was home; there wasn't a car in the driveway. He started to ring it again when he heard footsteps behind the door. He heard the door unlock and she stepped out. She smiled,

"Hey, sorry I was back in the bathroom brushing my teeth."

"It's okay; I was worried no one was here since there's no car in the driveway."

"Yeah, my parents left this morning and took the car." Her expression suddenly turned sad and he knew there was more to it, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh, okay. Well, are you ready to go?" Her expression turned happy again,

"Yeah, let's go."

He smiled and looked at her; she was wearing a pair of capris and a light orange tank top and a pair of flip flops. She reached the truck first and he said,

"Oh, here, let me get that." He opened the door for her and she smiled,

"You're spoiling me, you know."

"It's okay. You say thank you every time. Plus, I like doing it."

"Thank you" He smiled,

"You're welcome."

They talked the entire way to the beach. She told him about her day yesterday and he told her about his. She started off by going to breakfast with her parents and then they went to her older sister's house in Wrightsville Beach and visited with her for most of the day before Allison had to leave and run her errands. She asked him what he did and he told her about fixing his truck and going surfing. He told her that he used to be a mechanic before he joined the Air Force.

They rode for a while and the radio played a whole list of songs that Ben and Allison both knew. She sung them all perfectly and, when the radio station cut to a commercial, he looked at her and smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing. I still say you should audition to be a singer. You should audition for the church; you would be awesome." She smiled,

"Do you think so?"

"I know so; you really are a great singer. I bet they would accept you right on the spot." She smiled again,

"Thank you. My friend that I was with today told me I should try out, too."

"See? I'm telling you. You should really think about doing it."

"I think I'm going to."

"Really?" She nodded,

"I think it would be good. I mean, I would be doing something I love plus I'd be helping out the church, too." She smiled,

"Exactly."

* * *

><p>They rode together, talking and laughing, before they reached the bridge. She put her head down as they drove over it and, when they were over it, she looked back up. He still wondered why she was so afraid and she must have sensed what he was thinking. She laughed, obviously embarrassed,<p>

"You must think I'm weird, right?" He shook his head,

"No, not at all."

She smiled as they finally pulled into the recreation center. As you turned into the parking lot, there was a big sign that had a couple of the aquarium employees on it, as well as a sea turtle that said 'sea turtle releasing this afternoon at 1:45!'

The parking lot was almost full and it took him a couple of minutes to find a parking space. He finally found one and he parked the truck. They walked across the parking lot and down the steps to the beach. There were little signs scattered everywhere, announcing the sea turtle releasing. They saw a big group of people gathered in two groups near the water and they headed towards it.

They were right in time; they found a spot amongst one of the groups and, a couple of minutes later, they saw a big group of aquarium employees charge down the beach with a huge sea turtle in their hands. Everyone saw them and started to cheer and clap. They made their way down the middle of the two groups of people and finally reached the water's edge and gently lowered the turtle into the water.

They watched her move her legs and slowly make her way into the open ocean. When she got deep enough, she moved her front and back legs and swam into the ocean. Everyone continued to clap and cheer, even after they couldn't see the turtle anymore. Eventually, when the clapping and cheering died down, the employees stood in front of the two groups and talked about how they had found the turtle on the beach and nursed it back to health for four long months.

When they finished, they thanked everyone for supporting them and thanked them for coming. Everyone capped again, and then started to part ways. Allison turned to him, smiling,

"Wow, that was amazing." He smiled,

"Yeah, that was pretty cool."

They turned and started walking back to the recreation center. While they walked, Allison looped her arm through his. He smiled and they continued to walk until they passed a man with a huge tattoo that covered his entire back.

"Oh man, I couldn't have a tattoo that big on my back."

"Yeah, my dad has one just like that." She looked at him,

"Tell me more about your dad." He looked at her and cleared his throat, thinking of something to say,

"Well, he was in the Air Force and he retired about five years ago. He met my mom while he was on leave in Elizabethtown. They got married about a year later and they had me a couple of years after that."

"Wow, I'd like to meet him someday."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he sounds interesting." He raised his eyebrow, wondering how she could have come to that conclusion from what he had just said. He suddenly had an idea,

"Do you want to go meet him right now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Would he be okay with it?" He nodded,

"I'm sure he would."

"Are you sure?" He smiled,

"Yes I'm sure." She finally smiled as well

"Okay, I would love that."

"All right, let's go."

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><p><strong>:) Hope you guys enjoyed it! I really think you'll like the next chapter :D Don't wanna give too much away, so i'll just stop here! See you guys tomorrow! And please, please review!<strong>


	16. Chapter 15

**Back again! Holla holla. Like I said, I think you guys will like this chapter! Not giving too much away, so I won't say anything.**

**Btw, the hermit's house, Britt's Donut's and the church Ben and Allison went to in previous chapters are all real places! If you google them and just add Wilmington, North Carolina to the end of the google search, you'll see what they look like! :) And the church is called Port City Community Church for whoever's interested. It's the church I go to :D**

**Anyway, thanks to MzMickey0014 for your awesome reviews! I love reading them! Thanks for sticking with me! :) Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

They walked across the sand, arm in arm, to Ben's truck. He opened her door for her, and then walked around to the driver's side. He started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. While they drove, they laughed and sang to the radio; that was becoming a common occurrence whenever they drove anywhere. While she was singing, he looked at her and couldn't help but stare. Another song came on and she said,

"Oh, I love this song."

He had never heard the song before but, as he listened to the words, he couldn't help but think that the words matched exactly what he thought about Allison.

"What is this song called?"

"Smile by Uncle Cracker. I love it." He nodded,

"I like it, too." The chorus went,

"You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed, sing like a bird, crazy in my head, spin like a record crazy on a Sunday night. You make me dance like a fool; forget how to breath, shine like gold, buzz like a bee, just the thought of you can drive me wild. Oh, you make me smile."

He listened to the words and couldn't help but think that this song matched his thoughts about Allison perfectly.

They continued to talk and sing until they reached his house. He pulled into the driveway beside his dad's car. He saw a light on in the living room and, before they got out, she asked,

"Are you sure your dad will be okay with this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." She took a deep breath,

"Okay."

He smiled as they got out and walked inside; he walked in first with Allison behind him. His father was sitting in the recliner facing away from them. He must have heard them come in because he asked,

"Ben is that you?"

"Yeah, dad, it's me-"

"Hey, there's some chicken and salad on the stove if you want some."

"Dad, I actually have someone I want you to meet." His dad got up and turned around, seeing that Ben was accompanied by Allison. He wore a surprised expression, but then remembered his manners.

"Oh, who is this?"

"Dad, this is Allison Johnson." Allison smiled and extended her hand,

"Hi, Mr. Carter, it's nice to meet you." His dad smiled and nodded,

"Hey, it's nice to meet you, too."

"Ben's told me a lot about you." He looked at Ben,

"Oh, really?" She nodded,

"Yes sir."

They stood together, a little awkwardly Ben thought, but Allison showed no sign. His father stood there and then figured he was supposed to say something. He cleared his throat,

"Well, like I was telling Ben, there's chicken on the stove if you two are hungry." Ben looked at her,

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm starving." She laughed as his father butted in,

"Well you two help yourselves; I've already eaten."

"Okay, thank you Mr. Carter."

He nodded and went back and sat down in his chair and Ben and Allison made their plates and sat down at the table. They laughed and ate together and talked long after they had both finished. Ben finally took both of their plates to the sink while Allison got up and went into the living room where his father was. He heard Allison say,

"Thank you for the dinner, Mr. Carter, it was really good."

"Well, thank you; I'm glad you liked it."

"So, Ben told me you were in the Air Force?" Ben shook his head and smiled, knowing it was coming sooner or later. He walked into the living room and saw his father sitting in the recliner and Allison on the couch across from him. He went and sat down beside her and listened in on their conversation.

They talked for forty-five minutes about his dad's time in the Air Force. Ben could recite these stories backwards but Allison listened attentively, just like she did the first time he met her. He talked about his missions and his deployments to Japan, Vietnam and Korea, amongst many others, and the number of planes he had shot down during his career. When he was done telling his stories, Ben knew that there would be an awkward silence, but Allison said,

"Wow, thank you for sharing those stories with me, Mr. Carter."

"You're welcome." She smiled and looked at Ben and he couldn't help but smile. They sat together and Ben knew that his dad was trying to think of something to say. He smiled, deciding to rescue him,

"Allison, you wanted to hear me play the guitar, right" She nodded,

"Oh, yeah I completely forgot. Do you want to do it now?"

"Sure." She looked at his father,

"Do you mind, Mr. Carter?"

"No, you two go ahead; I'm just going to watch some T.V."

"Okay."

She stood up and followed him down the hallway into his room. They walked in and Ben immediately regretted not picking up some of his mess. He picked up some of the clothes off of the floor and threw them in his closet,

"Sorry, it's kind of messy." She laughed as she sat down in his chair,

"It's okay. So, what song are you going to play for me?" He picked up his guitar and put the strap around his shoulder,

"Do you know who Led Zeppelin is?"

"Who doesn't?" He smiled,

"I can play a lot of their songs. What's your favorite?"

"Do you know how to play Whole Lotta Love?"

He smiled again and picked up his pick, cut on his amp, and started to play. He could play the song almost perfectly. He practiced it a lot and, as he played the main beat, she smiled. He played the song and when he finished, she smiled and clapped,

"Wow, that was awesome, Ben."

"Thank you. Do you know Bring It on Home?" She nodded and he began to play that song, too. She smiled and listened to him and, when he was done, clapped for him again,

"That was good, too, Ben. Do you know how to play Kashmir?" He smiled,

"Oh yeah."

He started to play it and she got up and started to dance beside him. He smiled and danced, as best he could, while playing. The original song was about ten minutes, but Ben played it for half of that time. He finally finished and she smiled, clapped, and cheered this time. He smiled and put his guitar down and took a bow. She laughed and continued to clap. She smiled,

"That was awesome, Ben. You are a really good guitar player."

"Thank you."

"You know, I think you should audition at the church with me on Thursday." He looked at her and shook his head,

"What? No." She smiled,

"Well, why not?"

"Because that audition is for you. And besides, even if I did try out and make it, I would only be able to play on Sunday; I go back next Thursday." She nodded, then said in a barely audible voice,

"Yeah that's true."

He saw her expression and it looked sad. He wondered if it was because he wouldn't audition, or because he had to go back to Afghanistan next Thursday. He hoped for the latter. She still had a sad expression and he tried to cheer her up,

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" She looked at him,

"Hot chocolate?"

"Yeah there's some in the kitchen we can make. And afterwards we can sit out back on the porch and drink it." She nodded and smiled,

"Okay, that sounds nice."

* * *

><p>She stood up and followed him into the kichen Ben could hear the T.V. in the living room and could hear his father laugh occasionally. He wondered what his father thought about Allison and wondered whether or not he regretted saying those things about her.<p>

He wondered if he noticed her expressions and the way she raised an eyebrow when he said something she didn't agree with, or that surprised her. Or, did he notice the small gap between her teeth that flashed whenever she smiled; minor imperfections that made her perfect in his eyes. He loved everything about her; her nice, sweet, loving personality and the inability so say something mean about anyone. He loved her laugh and her smile that he knew was infectious to anyone and everyone who heard it and saw it.

They walked in the kitchen and he looked in the cabinet and grabbed the box with the mix inside. He made two glasses of hot chocolate as she grabbed some marshmallows to put on top. She added four little marshmallows to each glass as he handed one of them to her.

"Be careful, it's hot at the bottom."

"Okay, thank you."

"Well, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

He opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the deck. Off to the right was a grill and a set of chairs and a table. On the left was a wicker loveseat and two wicker chairs. She sat down on the loveseat and he took a seat beside her. He took a sip and it burned his tongue.. He immediately spit it out and Allison laughed, but put a hand on his shoulder,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's a little hot." She laughed again, this time harder. He looked at her and nudged her shoulder,

"It's not funny; it could've burned your tongue, too."

"No, I don't think so."

"Why not?" She held the mug up to her face,

"Because I would have blown on it to cool it down." He laughed and he took her advice and blew on it. She blew on hers and took a sip of it,

"How is it?"

"It's good."

"Good. I made it myself." She laughed and nudged his shoulder,

"Well thank you, Emeril." He laughed, too,

"You're welcome."

They talked and laughed while they finished drinking. She talked and laughed while they finished drinking. She talked about her dreams of college; she had applied to three different colleges: UNCW, Appalachian State, and North Carolina State. Though she would've been happy with any of them, she was really hoping for UNCW. That way, she wouldn't have to move far and she could still be close to her parents. Plus UNCW had a really good medical program. She had told him before that she wanted to major in pediatrics and UNCW seemed like a perfect place. They talked for a while before Ben looked up at the sky. She followed his gaze and said in a soft voice,

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." He replied, thinking he could use the same word to describe her. He looked at her and watched her look up at the sky while she spoke.

"I've been interested in astronomy ever since I was a little kid. I got a telescope for my sixth birthday. It's been the best birthday present I've ever gotten. I used to take it out in the field behind my house and stay out there for hours. I had my little radio and I was set." He smiled and couldn't help but stare at her. She wrinkled her nose and looked at him,

"Sounds dorky, right?"

"Not at all; that's what you're interested in. If you enjoy it, then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks." She smiled

"Do you remember that Uncle Kracker song we listened to on the way over here?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"It reminded me of you." He looked at her,

"Really?" She smiled and nodded,

"Yeah. I mean I had heard it a million times before but, when I was sitting in the truck with you and singing it, it just reminded me of you. I've smiled more in the past couple of days than I have in a long time. When I'm with you I'm just happy, you know?"

He looked at her and thought again how beautiful she was. She looked at him with her soft blue eyes and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then. But something stopped him and he missed his chance. She looked away and he heard his dad call his name. He forced himself to look away and look back at the house,

"What?"

"Where are you at?"

"We're sitting on the deck!" He yelled.

"Well, it's getting cold out there; I'm sure Allison wants to come in." He looked at her and she smiled.

"Are you ready to go in?"

"Yeah, you're dad's right; it is getting a little chilly"

They stood up and went in the house, Ben cursing himself. He took her mug and put both of them in the dishwasher. She wandered into the living room and he heard her and his dad start talking. Then he heard her ask if his dad knew what time it was. His dad said 9:15 and then Allison say,

"Oh my goodness, it's getting late."

He knew their time was coming to an end. As he walked into the living room, he saw Allison standing up. She smiled when he walked in and he knew she was ready to go. He looked at her and he knew she was trying to think of a way to ask him if he would take her home. He smiled and decided to save her.

"You know I'm not going to let you take a taxi, right?" She smiled and laughed,

"I was hoping you would say that."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, it's getting kind of late."

"Okay."

She turned to his father and he took that as a cue to stand up. She smiled at him and gave him a hug. Ben saw the surprise in his expression but he hugged her back.

"It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Carter." His father smiled,

"It was nice meeting you, too. You come back anytime."

"Thank you. And thank you for the dinner and sharing your stories with me."

"No problem. If you come back, I'll be sure to tell you some stories of this one." He was motioning to Ben. She laughed,

"Okay, I'll be sure to come back, then." She turned back to Ben,

"Are you ready to go?"

"Whenever you are."

They walked towards the front door as Ben yelled back at his father,

"I'll be back, dad."

They walked out to his truck and got in. As they headed back to Allison's house, there was sort of an awkward silence between them. Ben knew it was because of what happened back at his house on the deck. He didn't know why he had hesitated He wanted to kiss her but didn't know if that's what she wanted. He wouldn't have hesitated with any other girl, but with Allison, it was totally different. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way.

They talked and laughed on the way back to her house. The awkward silence lasted for only a second and they fell into an easy conversation. They talked about the most random things but it was just perfect. That was one of the things he loved about her. They didn't have to have a big conversation; they could talk about anything and it would bring the both satisfaction. There was no doubt in his mind that there was no place he'd rather be than sitting there in his truck, talking to the girl he already knew he was in love with.

* * *

><p>When they reached her house, they got out and he walked her up to her door. When they reached it, she turned towards him and smiled,<p>

"It feels like déjà vu, doesn't it?" He laughed,

"Yeah, it does."

"Thank you for today, Ben"

"You're welcome. Now you can tell your parents you got to watch a sea turtle be released."

"And watch a future rock star play his guitar." He laughed and he didn't want to say good-bye to her just yet. They stood together for a minute and he decided it was now or never.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Her expression turned sad and he knew the answer before she said it.

"Yeah, Tuesday, too. We're having a huge family reunion on Tuesday and I have to help my family set it up tomorrow." He nodded and tried not to show his disappointment. She was doing something with her family; he didn't expect her to spend all of her time with him. He must've failed at hiding his disappointment because her expression turned sad again,

"I'm sorry, but this has been planned for months." He shook his head,

"Don't be sorry, it's your family. I wouldn't want you to bail out on them to spend time with me. You should spend all the time you can with me, trust me I know." She knew he was referring to his mom's death. She smiled,

"Thank you."

He nodded and debated whether to tell her goodnight or go for it and as her out Wednesday. He wanted to, but he didn't want to seem pushy and annoying. He didn't get a chance to decide because she smiled again and asked,

"Are you busy Wednesday?"

"No."

"Well neither am I. Would you like to do something?" He couldn't hide his smile,

"Yeah. I know this really nice restaurant down at the beach. Would you want to go?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" He laughed,

"Yeah, I guess I am." She smiled,

"You know I've never been on a date with an Air Forceman before."

"I promise to be a perfect gentleman." She smiled again,

"Well, in that case, I accept. What time?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh so close! But I guess Ben wasn't ready yet. He'll get some courage soon though! The chapter you guys are waiting for is just around the corner! :D please review!<strong>


	17. Chapter 16

****Whoo! Decided to get this chapter up before I headed to bed. I gotta work tomorrow and then i'm going to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter! Anyone else excited about that? I'm 99% sure i'm going to get the next chapter up tomorrow after I get off work, which will be 5:00 EST. I'm not good with time zones at all... anyway, I won't keep you! Enjoy!****

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Ben had promised to pick Allison up at 5:00 Wednesday night to take her to dinner. He was looking forward to it, but was disappointed that he had to wait until Wednesday night to see her.

The next couple of days dragged on for what seemed like forever. When he got home Sunday night, he sat in the living room with his father and watched T.V. They had a long conversation about Allison; he asked his dad if he liked her and he said he did. He also apologized again for saying those things about her. He thought she was really nice and loved her manners.

On Monday, he basically lazed around. Except for taking a jog around the neighborhood, he stayed in the house. He cleaned the entire house and, as a thank you, his dad took him out for dinner.

They went to a restaurant called Rucker Johns down at Monkey Junction. Rucker Johns was famous for their awesome croissants and lightly-buttered chicken tenders; Ben and his father got these every time they came. It was the first time they had been since his mother had died and he felt a surge of sadness wen the pulled into the parking lot.

He was still grieving over the death of his mom. Sometimes, when he would go to sleep at night, he would have nightmares and wake up pouring sweat. The nightmare was always the same; his mom was in her car driving home, just like on the night of her accident. The only thing different was that Ben was with her in the passenger's seat. They were just driving and talking when, suddenly, headlights appeared in his mom's window.

He tried to scream to her to watch out, but nothing came out of his mouth. She would eventually turn her head and look out the window, only to see blinding lights fill her window. The sound of glass breaking was deafening as he would wake up, at that same moment, drenched in sweat. The last time he had that the nightmare was Thursday night. Hopefully, it would end soon. He thought about his mom often but, instead of thinking about the accident, he remembered all of the happy memories he had with her and it helped subside the pain.

They went in the restaurant and sat in a booth across from each other. They ordered their drinks and their entrees at the same time since they both knew what they wanted. About fifteen minutes later, their waitress brought them their food. They ate most of their dinner in silence except when his dad asked about Allison.

"So, you didn't see Allison today?"

"No, they're having a huge family reunion tomorrow and she was helping set up today." His dad nodded,

"So you're not going to see her tomorrow either?"

"No, but I'm taking her out to dinner Wednesday night."

"Oh, where are you taking her?"

"The Deck House down at Carolina Beach."

"Oh, so it's like a date."

"Yeah." He took a little break, then smiled and nodded,

"I'm kind of nervous though."

"Why?"

"I don't know, there's something about her that makes me nervous whenever I get around her. She's unlike anyone I've ever met."

"Tell me about her." He looked at him,

"What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me; just things about her, how she makes you feel." Ben nodded and didn't even have to think,

"Well, she turned 21 in November and she lives with her parents in the country. Not like backwoods-living-in-a-trailer-going-mudding kind of country, but lives-down-a-long-country-road-surrounded-by-three-fields-on-each-side-of-her-house country. She goes to church regularly and, like I said earlier, volunteers at her church regularly, too. She applied to three colleges but really wants to go to UNCW, she wants to major in Pediatrics and UNCW has an awesome program for medical students. She's got an awesome singing voice, but doesn't want to admit it even though I keep telling her." He took a little break and decided to tell his father how she made him feel. He smiled and continued,

"She, uh," He cleared his throat and smiled again. He motioned to his face,

"As you can tell, she makes me smile just by thinking about her. She pops in my head randomly and regularly and every time she does, I can't help but smile. She's got a small gap between her teeth that flashes whenever she smiles and her smile is infectious. It sounds so lame, but whenever she smiles, I feel warm inside; like there's no place I'd rather be than right there with her."

There was much more he could have said, but he decided to stop there. They sat there for a minute and Ben wondered if his father was going to say anything. He finally nodded and said,

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" He looked at his father, surprised,

"How do you know?"

"Because it's written all over your face; I knew it before you even told me any of that. It was confirmed as you were talking." Ben smiled and nodded, finally admitting the truth,

"Yeah, I'm in love with her."

"Does she know?"

"No, I haven't told her."

"Why not? She's got to be in love with you." He looked at his dad,

"How do you know?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"She's got to be, considering how much you're in love with her."

* * *

><p>They finished the rest of their dinner in silence. Ben thought continuously about what his father had said; he thought about it all through dinner, the entire ride home and for the rest of the night. When they got home, he finally broke the silence and said,<p>

"Thank you for dinner, dad."

"You're welcome, son." They both sat down; Ben on the couch and his dad in the recliner.

"Listen, I shouldn't have said what I did back at the restaurant."

"It's okay."

"No, I can't say that she's in love with you because I don't know. All I can say is that, if you love her, tell her. Don't keep words like that to yourself."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way? And she just wants to be friends?"

"I don't know, Ben. Just do whatever you think is right." Ben nodded, a million things going through his head. They say together for a while before he said,

"Well 'm going to head to my room, okay?"

He got up and walked to his room, where he spent the rest of his night.

He fell asleep, continuously thinking about Allison and his feelings about her. Though he fell asleep, thinking about Allison, he had yet another nightmare about his mother. It was the same exact one, and, like before, he woke up pouring sweat. He got up and walked to the bathroom and wiped his face with a towel. He walked back into his room and lay down in his bed. He lay there for a while, thinking that these dreams couldn't be normal. He never told his father about his dreams. He was coping with her death on his own and he didn't need the extra stress of Ben's problems, too He eventually fell back asleep, hoping that tonight was the last of the nightmares, but he somehow knew it wasn't.

* * *

><p>The next day he woke up and ate breakfast and read the paper. Reading the newspaper was the only way Ben kept up with that was happening in the world. He rarely watched the news; almost every one of the stories was about something bad. Very rarely were there any happy stories, except for at the end of the newscast when they talked about an animal being helped or rescued.<p>

He continued to skim the headlines until one caught his attention. He read it and thought immediately of Allison. He closed the newspaper and smiled to himself, thinking that life couldn't get any better.

After reading the newspaper, he went back to his room and saw his guitar sitting in the corner. He thought of Allison and decided to learn how to play her favorite song, which was Misery Business by Paramore. They didn't have a computer, so he would have to go to the library and use theirs. He didn't mind; he had to stop by there anyway and pick up a book. He smiled, thinking back to the newspaper article he had just read. It was a perfect coincidence that it happened to fall on the night of their first date.

He went to the library and used their computer to print out the guitar tabs for the song. After he printed it, he got the book he needed and checked out. He went home and spent nearly all day learning how to play Misery Business. He had heard the song before, but he had never tried to learn it. Thankfully, it was a pretty easy song to learn, except for the solo. He finally learned the basics of the whole song and put his guitar down at 3:45.

He then opened up the book he checked out at the library and started reading it. He read it until he heard his father call out that dinner was ready. They ate their dinner in almost total silence except for when his father asked what he did today. He told him he got up and took a jog around the neighborhood and went to the library. Then he told him how he learned to play Allison's favorite song in a couple of hours and, to this, his father raised his eyebrow and nodded, but said nothing.

His dad asked if he was ready for his date with Allison tomorrow night. Ben smiled and nodded; he had been looking forward to it all day and the day before, too. He had the evening all planned out and thought that Mother Nature couldn't have picked a better night to be on his side.

They finished their dinner and his father washed the dishes. Ben went into the living room and lay down on the couch and turned the T.V. to the weather channel to check the forecast for tomorrow night. It was supposed to be mainly clear with a low around fifty-two degrees. He smiled to himself, hoping the forecast wouldn't chance. He flipped through the channels and watched a couple of hours of T.V. before deciding to hand the remote to his father.

He walked to his room and lay down on the bed, continuing to read where he left off. The book was an essential component to their date tomorrow night and he wanted to read as much as he could. He read well into the night and, when he could barely keep his eyes open, decided to put it down and call it a night.

He lay in his bed for a while, just thinking about things; his date with Allison tomorrow night, his plan for evening, and his actual feelings for her. He still hadn't decided what he was going to do. Should he go for it and tell her his true feelings? Or keep his feeling a secret and not tell her he words that sparked this predicament. He lay there thinking until he finally drifted off to sleep, still unsure of what he was going to do.

He woke up Wednesday morning at 10:00 with a smile on his face, looking forward to the day ahead. He jogged around the neighborhood for about forty-five minutes before coming home and taking a long, hot shower. He practiced Misery Business for a while, trying to perfect the details, and then read more of the book he had checked out from the library; he read it until 3:30.

He put the book down and decided to gather the stuff he needed for their date. He went to the hall closet and grabbed a big blanket. He grabbed his keys and went outside and put the blanket in the back seat of his truck. He went back inside and went into the kitchen. He made a thermos of hot chocolate and then went back to his room and picked out his clothes.

He chose a pair of jeans and put on a blue and white plaid shirt over a white t-shirt. He slipped on a pair of flip-flops and looked at himself in the mirror. He fixed his collar and then went to the bathroom and sprayed a couple of sprays of cologne on his neck. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the thermos and his book and went back outside to his truck. He put the thermos and the book underneath the blanket so Allison wouldn't see it. He smiled again liking his idea and hoping Allison would, too.

He wasn't going to tell Allison about his plan until after dinner; he planned to surprise her. He went inside and checked the weather forecast to make sure it hadn't changed and smiled when it said it hadn't. He went to his room and grabbed a gray sweatshirt, then grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

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><p><strong>Holla back! So next chapter will be their date! I think you guys are really going to like it! I'll try to get it up asap! Please review this shizz ;)<strong>


	18. Chapter 17

****Wow, I updated again! Yayayay! I couldn't go to sleep for nothing, so I just decided to type up the next chapter. But I really am about to go to sleep now... it's 6:00 in the morning :0. Crazy. Well, here's Ben and Allison's first date! The chapter is long, but I think it's pretty good. And a special thanks to ajstar for favoriting! Welcome to the story! Enjoy!****

****MzMickey0014: Haha I know :( but it's his job. What can you do. ****

****Hmm what could've happened to her? Any ideas? The mystery shall be solved soon! ****

****And I hate making people wait! I want to get this story out there and I update as soon as I possibly can and as often as I can!****

****My music taste is pretty bangin, I do have to say... ;D Glad you agree! Thanks so much for the review! :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

On his way to Allison's house, he had butterflies in his stomach. A lot of things rushed through his head at once. He hadn't seen her since Sunday and he wondered if, somehow, she had forgotten about the time they had spent together. He wondered if there would be an awkward silence between them or if they would fall into easy conversations that they had had just a few days before. He pondered these questions all the way to Allison's house.

As he pulled into her driveway, he saw a woman across their yard in her garden. He then saw Alison appear from behind the house and walk over to her mom and start talking to her. He guessed she hadn't seen or heard him pull into the driveway. He smiled and took a deep breath and got out. She turned around and saw him and smiled. She jogged towards him and he stopped walking. When she reached him, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled and caught a trace of the perfume she had used. She stood back and he looked at her, thinking that she was even more beautiful than he remembered. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a black cardigan over a white tank top. She smiled at him and said, enthusiastically,

"Hi!" He grinned,

"Hey."

"You look nice."

"Thank you, you look nice, too." He cleared his throat,

"Beautiful, actually." She smiled and put a stray piece of hair behind her ear,

"Thank you."

Her mom turned her attention towards them and walked out of her garden. He looked at her mom and the similarities between her and Allison were outstanding. She had on a sun hat and a pair of working gloves. Like Allison, she had brown hair but, instead of it being straight like Allison's, it was wavy. She smiled and took off her gloves,

"Well, who is this?"

"Mom, this is Ben Carter." Her mom smiled again and extended her arms toward him. She gave him a hug and he hugged her back.

"It's nice to meet you, Ben. I feel like I know you already; Allison's told me so much about you." He looked at Allison and smiled,

"Oh, really?" She smiled as well and shrugged her shoulders. They talked for a minute; her mom asking him about being in the Air Force. She asked him a couple of other questions before Allison butted in,

"Okay, mom, I think you've pestered him long enough."

"Oh, Allison, stop it, I'm just trying to get to know him." He laughed and nodded,

"Yeah, it's okay."

Allison smiled and shook her head and they continued to talk for a few minutes. Though he would have rather agreed to what Allison said so they could leave, he didn't want to be rude to her mom, especially since it was his first time meeting her. She eventually said,

"Well, I guess I'll let you two head on, then."

"Okay. It was really nice meeting you, Mrs. Johnson." Her mom smiled,

"You too, Ben, you too. You seem like a nice young man."

"Thank you. Is there a certain time I need to have Allison home by?" Allison looked at him and smiled as her mom shook her head,

"Nope, I trust you to not let anything happen to her."

"Thank you, ma'am, I appreciate it." She smiled and gave him another quick hug and went back to her garden. Ben and Allison were left standing alone and she looked at him and smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing, you ready to go?" He nodded and motioned in front of him,

"After you."

* * *

><p>There wasn't an awkward silence between them at all as they drove to Carolina Beach. He asked her how her past couples of days were and she told him all about the family reunion. She had spent the entire Monday helping set up the auditorium where they were holding the reunion. They had balloons and streamers and they had to set up several tables and get enough chairs for well over a hundred people; saying her family was big was an understatement.<p>

There were only five of them setting up, which was why it took them all day to get ready. A lot of the family was coming in Tuesday morning from out of town, which was why their set-up crew was so short-handed. That Tuesday, she sat with her two closest cousins the entire day. Had she seen most of the people randomly on the street, she would've had no idea they were related. She didn't know three-fourths of the people there, but was nice whenever someone came up to her and told her how grown up she had become since the last time they had seen her. She couldn't tell you their name if her life depended on it, but she was nice and smiled to everyone that came up to her.

She classified the reunion a success; everyone had gotten along and there were no disagreements or conflict, which was rare in a group that large. After everyone had left, she stayed with her mom and aunts and uncles and helped clean up. She was beat when she got home that night and went to bed before 10:00.

"So, where are you taking me?"

"It's called the Deck House; it's down at Carolina Beach. Have you ever been?"

"No, but I've heard about it. I heard it's really good." The light turned green and he accelerated, passing through Monkey Junction.

"It is, I've been a couple of times with my family and I love it. Do you like seafood?"

"I love it." He smiled,

"Then you're going to love this place. It was actually a church before it became a restaurant."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when we get there look at the top and you'll see a steeple." She laughed,

"Okay."

They talked for a while before they reached Snow's Cut Bridge. He knew she would put her head down and, as he began to drive over it, he was proven right. When they were over it, she looked back up and he didn't say anything about it. He knew she was embarrassed by it, even though he told her she shouldn't be. She didn't say anything about it either and they rode for about five more minutes before he turned at a stoplight, then turned left into the restaurant parking lot.

It was almost full and it took him a couple of minutes to find a parking place. They finally found one and, as they got out, she remembered to look up at the top of the restaurant. She smiled as he met her around the side of the truck and followed her gaze.

"See? I told you." She smiled,

"That's weird. Why did they turn a church into a restaurant?"

"I have no idea. I think the church closed down so someone bought the place and turned it into a restaurant." She nodded and he motioned to the restaurant,

"You ready to go eat?"

"Yeah, I'm starving."

He opened the front door for her as they entered the restaurant. The hostess greeted them with a smile and asked how many and if smoking or non-smoking. They looked at each other and smiled, remembering that their first conversation was about smoking. They looked back at the hostess and Ben said,

"Non-smoking, please."

* * *

><p>She grabbed two menus and led them towards the middle of the restaurant and put them at a table against the wall. They sat down across from each other and the hostess told them that their waiter would be with them in a few minutes. When she left, Allison looked around,<p>

"This place is really nice, are you sure this is okay?" He smiled,

"Its fine, order whatever you want."

They opened their menus and their waiter appeared and took their drink orders. They ordered sweet teas and continued to look over the menu. When he knew what he wanted, he closed his menu.

"Do you know what you're getting?" She wore a serious expression and continued to look at the menu. He smiled as she said,

"I think so. What are you getting?"

"The seafood pasta; it's down at the very bottom of the menu."

"That's what I was looking at. Is it good?"

"Yeah, it's amazing; I get it every time."

"Okay, I'm going to get that, too."

They closed their menus and talked until their waiter appeared with their drinks. They ordered their food and, when the waiter heard they were getting the same thing, he said,

"I like you two; you are some easy customers."

Allison smiled and they handed hi m their menus as he went to go put in their order. They fell into an easy conversation as she talked more about the family reunion and asked him what he did the days that they were apart. He told her about cleaning up the house, but he basically lazed around. He didn't tell her about learning Misery Business and he couldn't tell her about going to the library because then he would have to tell her about his plan. He didn't want to do that.

They continued to talk for a few minutes before their waiter appeared with their food. She thanked him and Ben did the same as he walked off to help this other tables. She took a bite out of her pasta and he looked at her,

"How do you like it?"

"Wow, it's really good." He smiled,

"Good."

They ate their dinner and continued to talk. She asked him how his food was and he swallowed and said,

"Tell you what; you give me a bite of yours and I'll give you a bite of mine." She laughed,

"Okay, deal."

"You ready?"

"Let's do it." He stabbed at a couple of pieces of pasta with his fork and he fed her first. While he leaned towards her, she held her hand beneath the fork, careful not to spill anything. She took a bite and nodded,

"That's pretty good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I think mine's better, though." He laughed,

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep."

"Alright, hit me." She smiled and fed him. He nodded as he chewed it up and swallowed,

"Yeah, I think yours is better." She laughed,

"I told you."

He smiled and they continued to eat and laugh together. The waiter came by to refill their drinks and a couple of minutes later, appeared with their check. Ben grabbed it and Allison looked at him. He smiled and waved his hand,

"Don't worry about it."

"You're definitely spoiling me."

"Isn't a guy supposed to pay for his date?" She smiled,

"Yeah, but this isn't the first time. You paid for my dinner the first time we met, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

"You do that with all of the girls?" He smiled, but said, in a serious voice,

"No, you're the only one, Allison."

* * *

><p>When they finished eating and Ben had paid the bill, they grabbed their boxes and got up, walking towards the front of the restaurant. While they were walking, an old couple was sitting down at their table and he heard them whisper to each other,<p>

"Aww, they are such a cute couple."

He looked at them and Allison must have heard them because she turned around and smiled at him. As they walked across the parking lot to his truck, Allison looped her arm through his and smiled,

"Thank you for dinner, it was so good."

"You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it." She looked up at the sky,

"It's a beautiful night tonight." He nodded as they reached his truck. He opened her door for her and, as she got in, asked,

"Do you have anything else planned for the rest of the night?"

"No, why?"

"Because I have a surprise for you." She raised her eyebrow and smiled,

"A surprise?"

"Yep."

"Where at?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know; you'll just have to wait and see."

Allison was anxious as they drove. He looked at the time and saw that it was 7:00. He smiled again; they were right on schedule. It only took about five minutes to reach the recreation center. When he pulled into the parking lot, she looked at him,

"The recreation center? The surprise is here?" He smiled,

"Yeah, this is the place." She raised her eyebrow, then smiled and held up her hands,

"Okay, I trust you."

They walked across the deck, towards the steps that led down to the beach. When they were about halfway across the deck, he held out his arm to stop her,

"All right, stand right here and close your eyes."

"What? Close my eyes? What for?"

"You'll see; just do it."

She smiled and finally closed her eyes. He looked at her to make sure she wasn't peeking and ran back down the steps and across the empty parking lot to his truck. He grabbed the blanket, the thermos and the library book out of his backseat and ran back across the parking lot to the steps. He climbed them and slowly tip-toed past Allison, who still had her eyes closed.

After slipping past her, he ran all the way down the deck and then down the steps to the beach. He picked a nice, secluded but open, spot and began setting everything up. When he finished, he rushed back up to where Allison was standing. When he reached her, he stopped in front of her and said, sort of panting,

"Okay, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"All right, keep your eyes closed; I'm going to guide you to the surprise, okay?"

"What? I have to keep my eyes closed?"

"Yeah, it adds suspense. You trust me, right?" She smiled and nodded,

"Yes, I trust you."

He smiled and just looked at her for a minute. She was beautiful with her long, brown hair and soft blue eyes. Though she was a natural beauty, the little bit of makeup she had on, added to the beauty that she already had. Her black cardigan and jeans looked beautiful on her and he realized that, even though she was beautiful on the outside, she was even more beautiful on the inside. He took a break from his thoughts and put his hands on her waist, leading her down the deck. He led her down the steps, one by one and led her to the spot where he had set everything up. When he stopped her, he moved towards her ear and said, in a soft voice,

"Okay, open your eyes."

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><p>She smiled and opened her eyes. Sprawled out before her was the big blanket he had grabbed, laying on the sand with the thermos and book on top of it. Her smile turned into a grin and he stepped in front of her and beside the blanket, extending his arms on both sides,<p>

"What do you think?"

She opened her mouth to say something, with a grin still on her face, but she closed it and shook her head. Ben smiled and moved closer to her,

"Did I surprise you?"

"Yeah, this is definitely a surprise; I'm speechless, as you can tell."

He smiled and moved to the blanket and, before sitting down, motioned beside him,

"Come here, come sit down."

She walked over to him and they sat down on the blanket together. They sat close to each other and she smiled and turned to him,

"This is so nice, Ben."

"You haven't even seen the real surprise yet." She looked at him,

"What?"

"Yeah, we have about thirty minutes until it starts."

"Until what starts?"

"I can't tell you; you'll find out in about a half an hour." He picked up the thermos and they both took a sip of it as she looked up at the sky. He remembered the library book he checked out and looked around for it. Before he opened it up he looked up at the sky and asked, pointing,

"Do you see the Big Dipper right there?"

"Yep."

"Do you see those other two stars right around the edge of it?" She nodded and he continued,

"Connect those two starts with an imaginary line in your head and tell me what animal it looks like."

She smiled and looked at it, examining it for a couple of minutes before saying,

"Either a bear or a cheetah; something along those lines."

"You're first guess was right; it's a bear. The astronomical name for it is called the Ursa Major, or the Great Bear." She looked at him and smiled,

"How did you know that?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm just smart." He pointed towards another patch of stars to the left of the Big Dipper, smiling,

"Do you see those two really bright stars over there?" She followed his finger and then nodded when she found it,

"Yep, I see them."

"Those two stars are the brightest stars in the sky. They actually have names; the orange-ish looking one; his name is Pollux and the other's name is Castor. They represent the mythological twin brothers of Helen of Troy. If you look hard enough, there are two humans stretched out by them. They're marked by 'two roughly parallel lines of starts that are capped by two of the brightest stars in the sky.' Like I said, Pollux is the big orange one and its thirty-five light years away from Earth. Castor is fifty light years away from Earth."

After he finished talking, Allison looked at him. She continued to look at him, long after they had stopped talking. She finally smiled,

"How do you know so much about the stars and constellations?" He smiled as well and picked up his library book and handed it to her. She looked down at it and grinned as he said,

"I went to the library yesterday and checked it out. I've been reading and studying it ever since then." She grinned again,

"The Book of Constellations?"

"Yeah, I wanted to study it and try to impress you with my astronomy knowledge." She laughed,

"Well you definitely did. I had heard about Ursa Major, but I had never seen it. And I didn't even know about Pollux or Castor." He smiled,

"Well you've learned something new tonight, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I have."

He smiled and she looked back up at the sky. He looked around them; they were the only ones on the beach. They were away from a lot of the lights so they could see millions of stars overhead. Though they were near a couple of lights, the majority of their light came from the moon. As they say in the moonlight, they could hear music coming from a restaurant down the beach. He looked out at the ocean and the waves breaking were a soothing sound. They sat for a while before she looked at him,

"So, when is this surprise going to start?"

"In about fifteen minutes. She smiled and nodded. He looked at her and she looked like she was debating whether or not to say what was on her mind. She finally looked at him and asked,

"Are you scared of anything?"

"Of course I'm scared of something; I'm scared of a lot of things actually."

"What are they?"

"Why? Are you planning on scaring me or something?" She laughed,

"No, I'm just wondering." He smiled and thought about it for a second before responding.

"Well I'm scared of snakes; I got bit by one when I was a kid. I was in the backyard playing and running around barefoot. One came out of the bushes and when I ran past him, he got me on the side of my foot. I still have the scar." He slipped off his sandal and brought his knee up to show her. She wrinkled her nose,

"Ouch. When was this?"

"I was about 11 or 12."

"Wow. I'm scared of snakes, too." He looked at her and nudged her shoulder,

"So, your turn; what are you scared of?"

"Well, I'm scared of spiders and alligators and, like you said, snakes. I'm sort of scared of heights, too." She took a deep breath and he knew she was forgetting a big thing. She must have read his mind because she looked out towards the ocean and said,

"And, of course, bridges."

He continued to look at her and he could tell by her expression that she was contemplating whether or not to add more. She finally took another deep breath and turned to him,

"You've probably been wondering why I'm so scared of bridges, right?" He nodded,

"I was, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She gave a weak smile and shook her head,

"No, I want to tell you."

She took a deep breath again, then turned to him and began her story.

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><p><strong>Ahhh! I know, i'm such a mean person :) I know I said I don't like cliff hangers, but I think they can be useful in certain areas. Like Ben said, it adds suspense! But, Heidi, there's still so many questions! Why is Allison so afraid of bridges? What's the big surprise Ben has in store for her? Will he finally gather up the courage to tell her how he really feels? Will they finally kiss? Alot of them will be answered next chapter, so stay tuned! BTW, how do you like the date so far? Review and let a sista know! :)<strong>


	19. Chapter 18

****Whoo sorry it's taken me longer than usual to update! I've been so so busy with work and other stuff. I went to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter on Thursday night and it was ah-mazing! Such a good movie. And I worked all day today and then went back and saw it again with my friend. But, in between, I was working on this! It's a long chapter and I didn't want to rush to get it done, I wanted to get it just right! Well, I won't keep you! Most of the questions will be answered in this chapter! Enjoy! :D****

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><p><strong>Chapter 18 <strong>

"It all started last September. I had been seeing this guy named Seth for about a year. I introduced him to my parents a couple of times and they didn't like him at all. They found out that he smoked and drank and, more than once did I come home with a smoke smell on my clothes. Don't get me wrong, they knew that I would never smoke, but they thought that he was a really bad influence on me. He had just turned 20 so he couldn't drink legally. But it was more than the fact that he drank and smoke; he would go out and get drunk and call me and ask if I would come pick him up; I had my car at this time." She took a small break and looked away. She looks out towards the ocean and started again,

"Anyway, I would go and pick him up and we would argue all the way to his house. I would beg him to quit getting drunk all of the time and he would yell and say that I couldn't control him; we were constantly fighting. I would drop him off at his house and cry all the way home. When he was sober, he was as sweet as could be but, when he drank, he turned into a …monster.

One night he was having a party at his house in Carolina Beach and he really wanted me to come. I usually didn't go to his parties, but I wanted to go that night. We had had a really good past couple of days and he had promised he would quit drinking for me. And I believed him. Anyway, I wanted to go just that once so I asked my parents if I could go; they said absolutely not." She shook her head and she began to talk faster,

"I yelled at them and told them that they never let me do anything and that they were against Seth from the moment they met him. They yelled back at me and said that he wasn't right for me and asked how I could be so stupid to think that he would change his lifestyle for me. I was so angry with them and went to my room and slammed my door shut. I waited until the fell asleep, which didn't take long, and I snuck out and drove to Seth's house.

When I got there, there were so many people there that I could barely move. It took me almost twenty minutes to find him. I went to his room and found him making out with some girl on his bed." She gave a weak laugh and continued,

"He said that she had gum stuck on her lips. Anyway, I turned and started to run back to my car and I heard Seth running behind me, calling my name. I got to the front door and ran outside. Before I could get to my car, he caught up with me and grabbed my arm and turned me towards him. He said my name and I could smell the booze on his breath. He was apologizing, saying it wasn't what it looked like. I yanked my arm back and said it was over and turned to go to my car. He grabbed my arm again and I shoved his chest, yelling at him to let me go. He grabbed my arm a third time and jerked me towards him… and then he slapped me."

By this point, Ben's nostrils were flaring and his knuckles were white from grabbing the blankets in anger. If he and Seth; Seth, he even sounded like a bad guy. If he and Seth ever crossed paths, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. He couldn't imagine hitting a girl, especially not Allison. If he ever saw another guy put his hands on Allison, they might as well put him in the back of a cop car. He saw tears fill her eyes and her lip begin to quiver.

"By then, a couple of people had ran outside and grabbed him by the arms and led him back inside. I was so embarrassed because all of the girls were laughing. I cried the entire ride home. I was crying so hard that I didn't even notice that my car was veering to the right. I reached Snow's Cut Bridge and, by then, I veered so far to the right that my tires squealed against the guard rail. I immediately jerked my wheel to the left and slammed on the brakes." Her voice cracked and she put her head down and started to cry. He wanted to comfort her so he scooted closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder,

"You don't have to tell me anything else, Allison."

"No, I've already started telling you. I want you to know, Ben."

He nodded and she took a deep breath and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. There were a few still trickling down her face, but it had slowed down a lot. She took another deep breath and started again,

"Anyway, I slammed on the brakes, not thinking, and the car behind me slammed into the back of me. My car went crashing through the guard rail and the first thing that entered my mind was that this was it; I would never see my friends and family again. I had just had a major fight with my family and I didn't want that to be the last memory I had of them. I thought my car was going to go straight off of the bridge and into the water, and that I wouldn't be able to get out. But, miraculously, it didn't. It went half way off of the bridge; my front tires were off, but my back tires were still on it. Thank god I had my seatbelt on. If I didn't, I don't think I'd be sitting here right now."

Her voice cracked again as more tears streamed down her face. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. He held her for several minutes before she wiped her cheeks again,

"I'm sorry it's taking me forever to tell you the story."

"Don't be sorry, it was traumatic, I understand completely." She smiled, weakly, and continued,

"My head hit the windshield and I lost consciousness. I don't even know for how along, but the next thing I remember, I heard people screaming. It was muffled at first, but then it started coming back to me what had happened. I started panicking and I got a massive headache and my car started to rock. I heard people yelling at me to stop moving and I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a bunch of people crowded around my car.

They all yelled at me to top moving and, when I did, my car stopped rocking. Then I heard someone yell his name and say he was a firefighter. I looked in my rearview mirror again and saw him looking in the through the window. He told me to pop the trunk and I remember thinking what in the world for? I hesitated for a minute, and during that moment of hesitation, I heard a voice. I knew instantly that it wasn't anyone's from outside my car. It sounded like it was coming from my own head and I remember it saying 'It will all be okay.'" A small smile came across her face,

"And at that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of calmness and I knew the voice I had heard was right. I was going to be okay and I was just as calm as I could be, even with a tragedy happening all around me. The firefighter then yelled at me to slowly move to the backseat of the car. He enunciated the word 'slowly' and I knew it was because if I moved, my car would begin to rock again.

I was nervous, but I trusted the voice in my head and trusted my instincts. So I slowly picked my legs up from underneath the steering wheel and slowly dragged myself to the backseat. My car rocked a little but when I was moving, but, when I sat down in the backseat, my car rocked a lot. I heard the people that were watching scream and I immediately grabbed one of the handles and it slowly stopped rocking. I turned around and looked out of the window and I saw the fire truck in the background with its flashing lights and a huge group of onlookers.

There was a group of maybe five men apart from the firefighter, standing around my car. He told me to move to the trunk and I did and he told me he was going to open the trunk and get me out. Of course, it wasn't easy as it sounded; it was all it took for me to stay completely still while he slowly got the trunk open. The car was rocking back and forth like crazy, but he finally got it opened; the hard part was getting me out, though.

I stayed in the car for what seemed like days when he finally told me what I needed to do. He told me that if I moved too much, then my car would lose its balance and fall into the water. It was already on the edge of falling and… I told them I couldn't do it." He raised his eyebrow, but let her finish.

"He told me that I had to get my balance and that I had to jump out of the trunk. I didn't think I would be able to jump far enough, especially on the first try. He said that there would be five guys, not including himself, waiting to catch me. But I only had one shot. "

She looked away again for a minute. Ben was surprised to say the least. He never would have imagined something so traumatic would have happened to someone like Allison. She was the nicest and the sweetest person he knew. She always had an upbeat demeanor and, to have all of this happen to her and for her to still have such an upbeat mood and attitude was amazing. She eventually turned back to him and he saw tears still on her cheeks. He raised his hand and wiped them off and she gave a weak smile.

"You don't have to tell me the rest." She nodded,

"Yes I do. I'm doing this for myself, too. I've never told this to anybody and I need to finally let it out. You're the perfect person to tell." He smiled,

"Lucky me."

"I'm sorry; I've just unloaded on you, huh?"

"A little bit."

She nodded and looked away. He looked at her and saw a loose strand of her hair. He raised his hand again and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled and he scooted closer to her and turned her face towards his, gently.

"You know I was kidding, don't you?" She gave a small smile and nodded. He nodded, as well,

"Good. You don't ever have to apologize for opening up to me; it means you trust me. I know this is hard for you, and I want you to know I'm here for you."

She smiled and nodded and she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder. He held her for a minute before she finally lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked at him. She chuckled,

"You probably want to hear the rest of the story, right?" He smiled and nodded as she took a deep breath,

"Every time I would try and get my balance, the car would rock and I would lose it. The firefighter kept telling me I could do it and he kept encouraging me. I eventually got my balance after about ten minutes of trying. The people in the background were basically on their toes as I slowly sat up. The fireman smiled at me and told me I could do it." She took a small break and then smiled,

"Do you know he reminds me of you?" He looked at her and smiled,

"Really?"

"Yes. He was so encouraging and he believed in my when I didn't believe in myself." She smiled,

"Like you." He couldn't help but smiled as she continued,

"When Jeff was in his accident, you drove all the way back to Burgaw; you raced to his truck to help him. When you and the other guy were trying to help him, I stood there amazed. You two were risking your lives to save him and, when you pulled Jeff out and wouldn't leave without the other guy, all I could do was stare at you. I know that sounds bad, considering the circumstances we were in; Jeff was fighting for his life but all I could stare at was you. And you've been so supportive with this church audition; you've encouraged me and taught me to believe in myself." He smiled and stared at her, knowing that he was 100% completely in love with her. She smiled, too, and shook her head,

"Sorry, I'm rambling." He shook his head,

"You're not rambling. I kind of like it." She laughed and he said,

"I guess it's my turn to ramble, huh?"

She looked at him and he thought about what he wanted to tell her. He thought about it for a minute before he realized he wanted to tell her everything. He took a deep breath and began,

"You know I've never met anyone like you before?"

"Really?" He nodded,

"I knew from that first conversation I had with you that you were unlike anyone I had ever met before. You're the nicest and sweetest person I've ever met, Allison. You have the most infectious smile and you're…beautiful; on the inside and out. It didn't surprise me when you said you were helping your mom decorate for your family reunion because that's the kind of person you are. You put other people before yourself and you love doing it; I can see it in your eyes. They light up whenever you talk about it; I saw it just this afternoon when we were talking.

When you told me why you were scared of bridges, I was surprised. Not because of what happened; but, believe me, if Seth ever crosses my path, let's just say he'll have to pay a serious medical bill." She smiled, tears filling her eyes as she put her hand over her mouth and stared at him.

"It surprised me because I can't believe all of that has happened to you and you still have this, this upbeat mood and demeanor. You're an amazing girl, Allison. Seth was crazy to ever let you go. You're nice, sweet, loving, funny, and hardworking and I could go on and on. Spending these last few days with you has been amazing and made me realize how special you are and," He looked at her, knowing if he didn't say it now, he wouldn't be able to say it again

"And I fell in love with you."

He always imagined saying 'I love you' would be hard to do but saying them to Allison was the easiest thing he had ever done, because he knew it was true. He was never so certain about anything in his life. She stared at him for a minute, smiling, before she asked,

"Did you ever imagine something like this would happen?" He shook his head,

"No." She didn't say anything and Ben shook his head again,

"You don't have to say it back, Allison, that's not why I told you-"She immediately shook her head,

"No, it's just; I want to tell you something." He nodded, with a lump still in his throat. She turned to face him,

"When I first met you, I knew you were unlike any guy I had ever met, too. When Jeff had his accident and when I saw you pull him out, I felt a sudden sense of warmth towards you, even though I had just met you. And when I saw you again in the cemetery a couple of days later, I couldn't help but smile at you. I've smiled and laughed more in these past couple of days with you than I have all year. But, more than that, spending time with you has felt… right. And easy, like it's supposed to be.

I loved spending time with my family these past two days, but I felt empty. I racked my brain for the last two days, trying to figure out what it could be. It wasn't until I saw you get out of your truck and walk across the grass towards me, that I realized it was because I wasn't with you." She smiled,

"I didn't ask you that question because I didn't want to say it back. I asked it because I never imaged that it would happen, but it did. And I've wanted to say it, too." She looked at him and said, in a soft voice,

"I love you, too, Ben."

The next thing he knew, she was leaning towards him and he began to lean towards her. She put her hand on his thigh and gently brought her lips to his. When she finally kissed him, Ben knew nothing would ever compare to that moment when he first kissed the girl of his dreams.

They kissed for a few minutes. When her lips met his, he knew everything in his life had led up to that point. When she pulled away, she put her forehead to his. He brought his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. She smiled and stared at him, before asking,

"So, when is this surprise going to start?" He looked down at his watch, then looked up at the sky.

"It already has; look up."

She raised her eyebrow, but followed his instruction and looked up at the sky. He watched her look up and watched her mouth open slowly. She stared at the sky in wonder before she looked at him, grinning,

"A meteor shower?" He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I saw the article in the newspaper yesterday and figured I'd surprise you and bring you down here to see it."

She grinned again and leaned towards him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled as she turned her attention back to the sky. He looked out at the ocean, taking in all of the information that she had shared with him. Though he hadn't really planned on telling her his true feelings tonight, he couldn't contain them while he was sitting there with her on the beach. He was never so sure about anything in his life. And to have those words returned to him was the best feeling in the world. He turned to her and watched her, seeing the wonder in her expression. He smiled and lay down on the blanket, stretching out. She looked away from the sky and back at him, smiling,

"Are you tired?"

He shook his head and she laid down beside him. He put his arm around her and she turned on her side and put her hand on his chest.

They laid there together in each other's arms, talking and laughing and watching the meteor shower play out above them. While they were lying there, she told him the rest of her story. Though he could hear the sadness in her voice, she didn't cry. She told him that, while she was in the trunk of the car, she took a couple of deep breaths, and then jumped. As soon as she jumped, the car lost its balance and fell into the river.

All she could remember was thanking the firefighters over and over again. She was taken to the hospital, where her parents were waiting. She had expected a rain of fire to come down on her after she had had all of the tests and scans done with. But her parents neither yelled nor screamed. They were disappointed, but they were just happy that she was okay. She was released from the hospital with only minor cuts and bruises.

"They grounded me for two months for disobeying them and took away my phone and my computer. They refused to buy me another car and I've been saving up for a new one ever since then. It's the only time I've ever been grounded." He nodded and she turned over on her stomach and looked at him,

"What?"

"Nothing."

No, tell me. You probably think I was a rebel, huh?" He laughed,

"Oh yeah, you were a real daredevil."

They both sat up as he asked,

"So how did you like your surprise?"

"It was amazing; I absolutely loved it." He smiled,

"Good."

She smiled as well and turned her attention to the sky. He followed her gaze, but didn't see anything; clouds had rolled in and covered the sky. She turned her attention back to him,

"It's getting late, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I better get you home before your parents start to worry."

She nodded and they stood up and started getting everything together. Ben grabbed the blanket and Allison grabbed the thermos and his book. They raced each other back to his truck, with Allison winning by a hair. She laughed and said,

"Oh, not so tough now, are you?" He laughed,

"No, I let you win. Look at this big blanket I'm carrying, you just barely beat me."

"Whatever." She pointed across the parking lot,

"I don't think you could catch me if I ran to that sign over there."

"Okay, let's try it. I'll even give you a three second head start."

"Oh, you're really going down now." He smiled,

"All right, on three; 1-2-3!"

She took off and he laughed, counting to three under his breath, and then racing after her. It only took him a couple of seconds to catch up to her. When he was about halfway to her, she looked over her shoulder and saw that he was about to catch her and she let out a little scream and tried to run faster. He smiled and eventually caught up to her. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and picked her up from behind. She let out another playful scream and started laughing. He spun her around and she continued to laugh as she said,

"Ben, put me down!" He spun her around one more time until he finally put her down. She turned towards him as he asked,

"I thought I was going down?"

"You were, but I decided to be nice and let you catch up with me."

"Oh, okay."

They both laughed as they walked back to the truck. As they approached it, he jogged in front of her and opened her door. She said thank you as he walked around and got in. On the way to her house, they talked and laughed and sang to the radio. Tomorrow was her church audition and he knew they would be crazy not to accept her.

"So are you ready for your audition tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I still haven't decided what song I'm going to sing yet and I'm nervous about it." He shook his head,

"You don't need to be nervous; you're going to be great. Do you have any songs you're thinking about singing?"

"I have two songs I'm trying to decide between; Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong and Revelation Song by Kari Jobe."

"Lead Me to the Cross is good; my mom used to listen to it all of the time. She loved Hillsong. I actually know how to play it on the guitar."

"No way." He laughed,

"Yeah, I can play a couple of more by them, too." She smiled,

"Wow, I'm impressed."

He laughed again and the passed the mini-mart and saw Allison's house coming up on the left. She turned to him,

"Didn't you say that you used to be a mechanic?"

"Yeah, before I joined the Air Force."

"Do you want to do me a huge favor?"

"Absolutely." She smiled

"Do you want to try to fix our car? It's been messing up for a while and my dad can't find anything wrong with it. We haven't had a chance to go and get it fixed." He smiled and nodded,

"Absolutely." She laughed,

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not? It's not safe to drive a car that needs fixing. Plus," He reached for her hand,

"I'll be spending time with you." She smiled,

"Do you want to come around nine?" He kissed her hand and smiled,

"Absolutely."

He pulled in the driveway and walked her up to the door. When they reached it, she turned to face him,

"Thank you for tonight, Ben." He smiled,

"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."

"I loved it."

He smiled again, knowing what she meant. He leaned in and kissed her and she smiled brought her hand up to his cheek and kissed him back. He put his forehead to hers and kissed her one more time before telling her goodnight. She turned and went inside and he walked off of the porch to his truck, knowing that no one in the world could be happier than him.

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><p><strong>XD Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm really really curious to see what you guys think about it! So, please, if you review any chapter, please review this one and tell me what you think! I really want this story to be the best it can be and your reviews help me so much and encourage me more than ya'll can imagine. Next update will be fast. Promise! :D<strong>


	20. Chapter 19

**Yo yo yo, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

His alarm clock woke him up the next morning at 7:45 .He had to be at Allison's house at nine to start fixing her parent's car. He smiled, still thinking about his night with her. He finally got up and ate a quick breakfast before jogging around the neighborhood for about twenty minutes; he was pressed for time and needed to leave by 8:40. He came home and jumped in the shower and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He grabbed another shirt, just in case he got grease from the car on it. He went out to the shed and grabbed his tool set before grabbing his keys and heading to Allison's house.

It took him longer than he thought it would to get to her house. There was a traffic accident that had occurred and, though it was cleared off of the road, traffic was backed up for miles. He was glad he left five minutes early and he got to her house in just over thirty minutes. He was excited to see her and to be able to spend the day with her. He had to fix the car, of course, but he figured she would be out there with him. Her audition was also this afternoon at 3:30 and she wanted him to come with her.

He approached her house and started slowing his truck before pulling into the driveway. He parked and got out as Allison walked out onto the porch. She smiled and waved as she jogged across the yard. When she was close to him, she stood up on her tiptoes and reached up to kiss him. He smiled and kissed her back, knowing that it was going to be a good day.

They spent most of the day working on the car. Before they got to work, she invited him inside where her mom had just finished cooking breakfast. He ended up meeting her father and sitting down to eat breakfast with them. When they were done, she gave him a tour of her house. After showing him her house, they decided to go ahead and start working on the car. They headed outside and Ben grabbed his toolbox out of the back seat. They started working at about 10:00. He rolled underneath the car and he heard Allison ask what she could do.

"Do you see my toolbox on the top of the car?"

"Yep."

"You can hand me the tools I need, if you want to."

"Okay."

He stayed underneath the car for about ten minutes before rolling out. He stood up and she looked at him. He shook his head,

"I don't know; I don't see anything wrong with it."

"What? I thought you could 'fix any car or truck?'" He laughed,

"Alright, here, let me check underneath the hood. You want to pop it for me?"'

"Sure, let me go get the keys."

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><p>She ran inside for a minute and he wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun was high in the sky and it was another warm day. Tomorrow was the first day of March and he knew Wilmington was in for a hot summer. He wouldn't be here for it, of course; he was usually gone for about nine months at a time, and it might be a little longer because of the emergency leave he was on. He suddenly felt a surge of sadness. He didn't have to leave until Thursday afternoon but he still had to leave.<p>

He was sure Allison was aware of this, but she hadn't shown any signs of sadness. He didn't know what was going to happen but he knew he didn't want to lose her. He started running through a million scenarios when he heard a door slam behind him. He turned around and all was forgotten when he saw Allison walking down the porch steps with the keys and two glasses of sweet tea in her hands. He smiled and when she got closer, she held out a glass and she smiled and leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. She kissed him back and said,

"Okay, let's get to work."

He took a sip of his drink while she got in and popped the hood for him. She got out and he put the glass down beside him and opened the hood. He looked and poked around for a minute before seeing what was wrong. He saw that the fan belt was loose. He grabbed a tool out of the toolbox and tightened it. He closed the hood and wiped his hands,

"All right, that should do it." She looked at him with a surprised expression,

"What?"

"Yeah, the fan belt was loose so I tightened it up. It should be good now."

"Wow, that didn't take long." He smiled,

"Yep. But we might want to take it for a test drive to make sure nothing else is wrong."

They rode to the end of her street, since it was a long road. While they were riding, the car jerked into second gear. She looked at him,

"Uh-oh, that can't be good." He shook his head,

"No, that's not good." She turned the car and headed back to her house.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know; it could be a number of things. I'll crawl back under it when we get to your house."

She parked the car in the same spot it was in and they got out. She went over and grabbed her glass of tea off of the porch and took a sip as he crawled back under the car.

"Allison, can you hand me the flashlight?"

He waited a minute and didn't hear a response. He turned his head both ways, trying to see if he could see her feet. He didn't see them, so he crawled out from under the car and stood up. He didn't see her anywhere; he looked to both of his sides and walked out to the road and looked down it. He didn't see her and he started to panic. Suddenly, he felt two hands squeeze his sides He jumped and turned around to see Allison busting out laughing. He smiled,

"What are you doing?"

"Did I scare you?" He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, you did. I thought you got abducted or something. Where were you?"

"I was on the porch; I was waiting for you to turn around and see me, but you didn't. It was all I could do to not start laughing." He laughed,

"I wasn't scared."

"Oh, please, you jumped nearly a foot in the air."

"No I didn't."

"Yeah you did." He shook his head and walked closer to her,

"No, I didn't." She smiled and, when he got close, she slipped her arms around his neck and looked up at him,

"Yeah you did."

He shook his head and leaned in to kiss her. She smiled and kissed him back. He took a couple of steps forward, with her still in his arms. They moved toward the car and he brought his hand up to her cheek, still kissing her. She pulled away and laughed; her face still close to his.

"Ben." He smiled and she kissed him again. He took a couple of more steps forward when he heard a clanking. They pulled away at the same time and looked down. Allison hopped to the side and exclaimed,

"Ben, your glass!"

He leaned down quickly and grabbed the glass, but it was too late; his tea and ice had spilled everywhere. He looked at Allison and she started laughing,

"Do you want another glass?"

"No, it's okay. This is what you get when you fool around, Allison."

"What? That was definitely your fault."

"No it wasn't, you knocked it over."

"Yeah because you were leading me backwards; I couldn't see anything." He smiled,

"I couldn't see anything either; you were all over me." She scoffed and punched his arm, playfully,

"Oh, whatever, you can just go thirsty while you finish fixing the car, then."

"Who said I was going to finish fixing it?" She smiled and shook her head,

"Oh no, buddy, you promised." He laughed and moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist,

"I did promise, didn't I? I guess I have to finish it, then. I never break my promises, you know."

"Never?"

"Nope, never." She smiled,

"Good. We better get back to work, then."

They finally finished fixing the car, forty- five minutes later. The transmission filter needed to be replaced and, luckily, her father had one in their garage. He closed the hood and wiped his hands on a rag as Allison said,

"I think you fixed it."

"Me too. Finally; we've been working on it for hours." She, instinctively, looked at her watch. It was 2:00.

"Wow, we have, haven't we?"

"Yeah, but it's okay; I had fun." She smiled,

"Me, too."

"So, what time is your audition?

"3:30, but I want to get there fifteen minutes early to rehearse and get ready."

"Have you picked what song you're going to sing?" She shrugged her shoulder,

"Yeah, I'm going to sing Lead Me to the Cross." He nodded,

"Good, I like that one." She smiled,

"I know you do."

"What time do you want to leave?"

"Probably three; it takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to get there."

"Okay. I have to go home and change really fast."

"Okay, I have to change, too; I'm looking rough." He laughed,

"No you don't, you look beautiful." She smiled and gave him a quick kiss,

"Thank you."

He gave her a kiss goodbye and got in his truck. She smiled and waved goodbye and he waved back to her.

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><p>When he got home, he went inside and changed into a pair of jeans and a gray collared shirt. He kept his sandals on and walked into the bathroom and sprayed a couple of sprays of cologne on his neck. He grabbed his keys out of his pocket and headed back out the door.<p>

He went back and picked up Allison and they headed to the church. The parking lot looked completely different than it did on Sunday; there were about twenty to thirty cars in the parking lot when they pulled in. He parked a couple of feet away from the door and they got out and walked into the lobby. There were groups of people scattered everywhere; Ben guessed they had the same idea as him and Allison and were rehearsing before the auditions started. Allison went and got her number and then came back and sat beside him.

"Okay, I'm number fifty-eight."

"You're going to do great." She smiled,

"Thank you, now do you want to help me rehearse?"

They rehearsed for about fifteen minutes; until 3:30. A voice came over the intercom and instructed that everyone auditioning as a singer were to move into the sanctuary. When the intercom turned off, Ben looked hat her,

"Well, are you ready?"

"Yeah, as I'll ever be." He smiled,

"Don't worry, you're going to be great, I know it."

They followed about a hundred people into the sanctuary. Ben and Allison found a seat in one of the middle rows and, when everyone was settled in, two young guys walked across the stage and greeted everyone. Ben recognized one of the guys as the one who announced that the auditions were being held today. Ben didn't recognize the other one and he introduced himself as the Director of Music. They seemed like nice guys and the auditions soon got underway.

The first ten or fifteen people were, to put it nicely, not very good. But the auditions soon got better and, by the 40th person, they had accepted sixteen people; eight guys and eight girls. The girls they had accepted so far were good, but not as good as Allison, he thought.

Allison was getting more and more nervous as they approached her number and, by the time they had reached fifty, they had gotten ten guys and nine girls. Ben kept assuring her that she would be fine. The next couple of people were not very good, but then a young girl, maybe 18 or 19, walked across the stage. She announced that she was number fifty-five and would be singing a song called Hosanna.

Ben had to admit, she was pretty good; everyone else seemed to think so, too. Everyone clapped or her and the 'judges' told her that they wanted her to become a part of the church family. She thanked them over and over, getting tears in her eyes, and walked off of the stage. Then, the two men got up and walked on the stage. 'What are they doing?' someone asked.

"Thank you everyone for coming and trying out. We have found our ten men and women and are not holding anymore auditions. Again, thank you all for coming."

There were immediate whispers and protests. Everyone was asking the same question; 'What?' 'What about the rest of us?'

"Whoa, wait, they can't do this." Ben said. Everyone started to accept that they weren't taking anymore auditions and began to file out of the sanctuary. Allison sighed,

"But I rehearsed for days. Come on, Ben, let's go. This was a waste of time."

Ben looked around and saw that the two guys were sitting in their chairs in front of the stage, talking to the people that had been accepted. He turned back to her and shook his head,

"No, hold on a minute, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"Just hold on a minute,"

He stood up and scooted past everyone who was still sitting on their row and made his way up to the stage. Allison called his name, but he didn't turn around. He walked up onto the stage and said,

"Excuse me."

The two men looked up at him and everyone who was still in the sanctuary stopped and looked at him.

"I just wanted to ask you if you could take a minute and listen to my girlfriend sing."

"No, I'm sorry; we've already got everyone we need."

"Wait a minute." He saw them take a deep breath and turn back towards him, obviously getting impatient. Ben tried again,

"What about everyone else here that took time out of their schedule to come down here and volunteer so that you could have enough singers for your music team? It's not fair to them and you know it. I know you think you have found everyone you needed but please, I'm asking you to reconsider and listen to my girlfriend sing."

"I'm sorry, but we're not taking any more auditions at this time. Now, please, get off of the stage or we'll be forced to call security."

When Ben didn't move, they motioned to the security guard at the entrance to come and escort him out. They went back to what they were doing, but Ben wouldn't give up,

"Listen to me! My girlfriend has practiced for this audition for days. She's been worrying herself to death and has been rehearsing her tail off to come down here and sing for you, and I'm sure everyone else in this sanctuary has, too. I know you guys are probably tired of auditioning people and I understand that. But don't you think it's unfair to these people that have come down here to support you and this church to have you turn them away without even giving them a chance? I can't speak for these people, but I know that there's one girl in this sanctuary that loves this church with all of her heart and has been practicing and practicing so you would have a singer. Please, just give her a chance. Just give her one minute and I promise you, you'll change your mind."

They looked at him for a minute as the security guard came on stage and grabbed Ben by the collar. They held out their hands to stop him and they turned to talk to each other for a minute. The security guard let go of him and walked off of the stage. While they were talking, he looked out and found Allison in the crowd. She looked at him before she smiled and mouthed 'I love you.' He smiled and mouthed, 'I love you, too.' She smiled again as the two guys turned back to look at him,

"What's your girlfriend's name, son?" He smiled again, knowing he had gotten through to them. He looked out at Allison and saw her grinning at him. He told them her name and they looked down at their charts and, finally, asked,

"Where's Allison Johnson?" He looked out at her and she smiled and stood up,

"I'm right here!"

"Okay, Ms. Johnson, you have the floor." She smiled and made her way up to the stage. While she walked up to the stage, he turned to the two men,

"Thank you so much, you won't regret it." Surprisingly, they smiled and said,

"Let's hope not, now let your girlfriend have the stage." He smiled and nodded and, when she came up on the stage, he gave her a quick kiss and whispered,

"Good luck, you'll do great."

"Thank you so much, Ben." They both smiled at each other and walked off of the stage and sat down in the front row.

"What song re you going to be singing, Mrs. Johnson?"

"Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong."

"Wow, we're actually going to be singing that song this week. Whenever you're ready." She took a deep breath and began to sing.

Though she was nervous at the beginning, her nerves quickly went away. She was on tune the entire song and, when she reached the middle of the song, she closed her eyes and sung the rest of the song better than he had ever heard her sing before. When she was done, the entire sanctuary clapped for her and gave her a standing ovation. Ben smiled and clapped for her. She smiled and couldn't wipe the smile off of her face.

"Well, Ms. Johnson, you're boyfriend wasn't lying; you can definitely sing. We would be honored to have you join the church family." She smiled and put her hands over her mouth,

"Thank you so much."

"In fact, how would you like to be the lead singer this Sunday, singing that song?" Her mouth dropped open and Ben smiled

"I would love to."

"All right, it's yours. The practices start tomorrow night at 6; they're every night until Sunday. Can you do that?

"I sure can."

"Okay, we'll see you then."

She smiled again and Ben went up on the stage to join her. She saw him coming and ran and threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and kissed her,

"I knew you could do it!"

She grinned and kissed him again. A woman then came into the sanctuary and announced that all of the guitar and drum players that were going to audition had left. The Director of Music turned to look at her,

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, I guess people were saying that we weren't going to hold anymore auditions and they all left." He turned to the other guy,

"Well, what are we going to do now? All of our regular guitar players can't do it Sunday and now we don't have anybody to audition."

Allison looked at Ben and he looked at her, knowing what she was thinking. He yelled out to them,

"Do you guys need a guitar player?"

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><p><strong>:) Isn't Ben just so sweet? Hope you guys liked it! please review!<strong>


	21. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. Doing pretty good on updating every day. Holla back. Well, I won't keep you! Enjoy!**

**MzMickey0014: Hmmm... maybe! :D I wonder what Ben would do if he saw Seth... we'll see! And me too, he's so sweet. Thanks for the review! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

The next few days flew by for Ben; he spent all of his free time with Allison. They went to the zoo, the movies, and the battleship and hung out at each other's house all while attending the church practices every night. He had volunteered just for this Sunday, telling them that he was in the Air Force and had to go back this Thursday. He spent time with his father, as well. He told his dad that he told Allison that he loved her and he was supportive and happy that they were together.

He woke up on Sunday morning at 6:00; they had one last practice before the 9:00 service. He started his day, like he always did, with a jog. He jogged for about thirty minutes and, when he was done, jogged home and hopped in the shower. He got out and went to his room and picked out something to wear. He picked out a pair of jeans and a black button down shirt. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and sprayed a couple of sprays of cologne on his neck. He finally grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

When he pulled into her driveway, he got out and, since it was so early, knocked on the door. He stepped back and, a few seconds later, heard footsteps behind the door. It opened and he saw Allison standing there, with an almost scared look on her face.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine come on in."

She stepped aside and he walked in, not fully convinced that she was fine. She closed the door behind him and put her hand on her forehead and sighed. He knew she wasn't fine so he walked over to her,

"Allison, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing… I'm just nervous."

He suddenly realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled and moved closer to her. He opened his arms and held her,

"It's going to be fine; you've been perfect in practice."

"Yeah, but that was just practice; now I'm going to be in front of hundreds of people."

"You're going to be fine; I'm going to be right there beside you." She smiled,

"Yeah, but you aren't the one singing."

"True, but I am the lead guitar for all four of these songs; you only have to sing two."

"Yeah, but still. Look at you, you don't seem nervous at all and I'm a wreck over here." He laughed

"I am nervous, but I know that it's going to be fine. We've practiced a lot and we're about to practice again. I have faith in myself and I have faith in you; you're going to be great, I promise." She smiled and reached up to kiss him. He kissed her back,

"Now you shouldn't be nervous at all."

"And why is that?"

"Because I promised you, and you know I never break my promises." She smiled and kissed him again. He smiled, too, and said,

"Okay, well, we better get going."

When they reached the church, they walked to the sanctuary and got right to work. The other lead singer would sing the first two songs, then Allison would sing her two songs; Lead Me to the Cross and Love Song. Their practice went exceptionally well. Everyone was on key and, despite Allison's comment that she was nervous, she showed no sign. She sung both of her songs perfectly and, by the time they were done, it was 8:30. As soon as they walked back stage, the first couple of church members came walking in.

* * *

><p>As the first service neared, he could tell Allison was getting more nervous. He peaked around the set they had up on the stage and looked to see how many people there were. Though the church had a bottom floor, where there were hundreds of seats, they also had a balcony. Allison was right; she would be singing in front of hundreds of people. He went back to where Allison was sitting and, as he went closer, he saw that she had her head down and her eyes closed.<p>

He wore a curious expression and, when he drew closer, he realized she was praying. He smiled and waited until she was finished. When she raised her head, he walked over and sat down beside her.

"How are you doing?"

"I don't know, I'm pretty nervous."

He smiled and reached for her hand,

"It's going to be fine; you're going to do great, I promise."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat together for a couple of minutes before the Director of Music came backstage to meet them.

"Okay, guys, it's about that time. These last few practices have been, I think, the best we've had in a long time. I especially want to thank our newcomers, Ben and Allison. They've done a wonderful job, good luck guys. All right, let's go." Before getting up, Allison took a deep breath. She stood up and he whispered in her ear,

"You're going to be fine."

She smiled and nodded and they followed the other band members out onto the stage. The lights were dimmed when they walked out; they were showing a video clip about the upcoming summer camp they were having in June. Everybody got in their spots; the drummer was on a raised platform, the bass player was on the left side of the stage, along with the keyboard player. The male singer stood at the front of the stage, right in the middle. Ben and Allison stood to the right side of the stage, right beside each other. She stood a couple of feet in front of him and he put the guitar strap around his shoulder. He made sure it was tuned for their first song as the video ended. The drums started and they got underway.

The first song they played was We Sing. When the drums started, the male singer walked up to the microphone and greeted the congregation and asked them to stand up and sing along with them. Then, Ben and the bass player started to play and it only got better from there. Though he was a little nervous at the beginning, as soon as he strummed the first note, the nerves went away. They played the song perfectly and, when it was over, went into From the Inside Out. Ben started the transition and the drummer added in as they began. While they played the first two songs, Allison stood a couple of steps from the microphone and sang the backup vocals. They played the song and played it perfectly. When it was over, the lead singer said,

"Yeah, you sound great this morning; why don't you say hello to someone sitting near you?" While the congregation were greeting each other, Allison took a deep breath and he walked up beside her and whispered,

"This is it; are you ready?"

"Yeah, I am, actually."

"You're going to be great." They both smiled at each other and he moved back to his spot. They looked at each other and the drummer gave the signal. On three, Ben and the drummer started. When they began, Allison walked up to the microphone. When it was time for her to sing, he saw her take a deep breath and began.

As soon as she sung the first note, he knew she was going to be fine and do great. He knew this before she started, of course, but, when she started, he knew it for certain.

She sang both of her songs flawlessly. Though she said she was nervous, you couldn't tell at all. She sung her two songs better than she had at all of their practices. She hit every note and, after they finished, the congregation erupted into applause. She grinned and stepped back as the other lead signer stepped up to his microphone and asked the congregation to pray with him. Everybody bowed their heads and prayed with him. When he was done, he thanked everyone for singing with them and told them that they could take a seat. The lights dimmed and they started another video clip and they walked backstage.

When they got backstage, Allison turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her and picked her up as she laughed.

"I told you you were going to be great!" She grinned,

"I was so nervous! But when I started to sing, all of my nerves went away."

"You were amazing."

She smiled and reached up and kissed him The Director of Music found them and walked up to them, grinning. When he got closer, he hugged Allison and shook Ben's hand.

"You two were amazing! Ben, you can really play that guitar. And Allison, honey, you were marvelous, you have an amazing set of pipes." They both smiled and said thank you and he asked,

"Are you two going to stick around or are you going to leave and come back for the next service?" Ben looked at Allison and she nodded and mouthed 'Let's stay.' He turned to him,

"Yeah, we'll stick around."

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><p>They listened to the rest of the service from backstage. The preacher continued his series on Jonah and, when it was about over, the Director of Music came and told them that they were heading to the lobby.<p>

When they got out to the lobby, they sat down on one of the sofas and watched the rest of the message on one of the T.V.'s they had on the walls. When he finished preaching, he asked everybody to pray with him. Everybody bowed their heads, including them sitting in the lobby. When he finished praying, thanked everyone for coming and then added something that surprised Ben and Allison both.

"As you saw earlier, we had a couple of new faces up here this morning; Allison Johnson and Ben Carter. They will be out in the lobby if you want to stop and talk to them for a bit." He thanked everyone again for coming and walked off of the stage. Ben didn't expect to have as many people come up to them as they did.

"You two were marvelous!"

"Your voice is amazing!"

"So nice and pure." Allison smiled at everyone and said,

"Thank you so much, I appreciate it."

As people filed out, more and more people came up to them. A man and his wife came up to them and shook both of their hands. The woman spoke first,

"You both were great; you have the most beautiful voice, sweetheart." The man turned to Ben,

"You are really talented with that guitar."

"Thank you, sir."

"Will you two be playing again anytime soon?" He saw the smile slowly disappear from Allison's face.

"Umm, I won't be, I was just a fill-in. But Allison will be."

"I don't know, they might ask you to join the team."

"Well, I'm actually in the Air Force. I'm home on leave and they needed someone just for today so I filled in." The man nodded and Ben looked at Allison; her expression was blank. The woman said,

"Thank you for your service."

"When do you go back?"

"Thursday afternoon."

"Well, I wish you the best." He smiled and shook both of their hands,

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

They shook Allison's hand as well and she gave them a fake smile. They walked away and he looked at her, knowing what she was thinking. She didn't look at him right away, and then she slowly looked up at him. They looked at each other for a minute before they saw her parents coming towards them. Her mom was grinning and she opened her arms and embraced Allison,

"Oh, honey, you were wonderful!" She gave a real smile this time,

"Thanks, mom."

"You were wonderful, too, Ben."

"Thank you, ma'am."

They stood together for a few minutes before her dad said,

"Well, we better get going. Are you going to stay?" Allison nodded,

"Yeah, what time is it?"

"10:30; people will start to showing up soon for the 11:00 service."

She nodded and they said good-bye and Ben and Allison watched them walk down the hallway and out the front doors. He looked at Allison and was about to say something when she said,

"I'll be right back; I have to go to the bathroom."

He nodded, getting the feeling she wasn't going to the bathroom to actually use it. He sat down on the sofa and people began to file in. She took about ten minutes in the bathroom and, eventually, he saw her walking down the hallway, wiping her eyes. She didn't look like she had been crying, but, by the way she looked at him, he had a feeling that she had been.

From the day he had first met her, it hurt him in a way differently than when he saw anybody else cried. Now that his feelings for her had grown, it hurt him even more. He suddenly realized he had a lump in his throat. He tried to swallow it,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He was about to say something else when the Director of Music came up to them,

"Hey, guys, we're about to head backstage; the service starts in five minutes."

When they got backstage, the Director went to go round up the rest of the band members and Ben and Allison were left alone. She went and sat down on one of the steps and he walked over and sat down beside her. She didn't look at him and he knew something was wrong. He knew what it was, but instead asked,

"What's wrong, Allison?" She didn't say anything, then turned to face him,

"Can we talk later?"

"Sure, are you okay, though?" She gave a weak smile and nodded. The Director of Music came back with the other band members,

"Okay, guys, it's about that time again. Let's do the same thing we did earlier."

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><p>They played the same set of songs and Ben thought they were even better this go around. When it was over, they talked to the Director and he asked Allison if she wanted to sing again next week and she was surprised, but said absolutely yes. He thanked Ben for filling in and wished him good luck on his trip back to Afghanistan.<p>

This time, they didn't stick around for the service to end. She still hadn't told him what was wrong, even though he thought he had a pretty good idea what it was. This was the second time in a row that he wasn't looking forward to going back. More than that, he didn't want to go back; he had fallen in love with Allison and his feeling for her were growing more and more every day. He knew it was going to be hard, but he didn't want to lose her. Even though he had only been home for little more than a week, he had fallen in love with Allison and was willing to risk anything to keep them together and make it work.

They went out to the lobby and made their way out to his truck. They hadn't said anything to each other since they had finished playing and, when they reached his truck, he opened the door for her. She looked at him for a minute, and then gave a weak smile,

"Thank you."

He nodded and walked to the driver's side. He got in and saw her looking out of the window. He took a deep breath and put his hand on her shoulder,

"What's wrong, Allison?" She didn't say anything at first, but she slowly turned her head towards him and said, in a barely audible voice,

"You're going back in a couple of days."

"I don't go back until Thursday afternoon."

"I know, but still…" He saw tears start to form in her eyes. He turned his body towards her and turned her face towards his, gently, and she brought her eyes up to his.

"I love you so much, Allison. This last week and however many days has been the best of week and however many days of my life. I love you so much and, even though I love being in the Air Force, I love you so much more and I wish I would have never even joined. But, in some ways, I'm happy I joined. If I hadn't, I would've never met Jeff and, therefore, I would have never met you. So, maybe, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. But, even if that's true, I still wish I didn't have to go back, but I do. Allison, the only thing I want, the only thing, is that I want this to work. I don't want to lose you and I'm willing to do anything." He felt tears start to form in his eyes and he looked away for a minute and shook his head and said,

"Please, I just-" She interrupted him and put both of her hands on his face and put her arms around his neck. They hugged for a minute before she pulled away and put her forehead to his. She brought both of his hands to his face again and whispered,

"I want to make this work, too. I love you Ben and this past week and however many days has been the best week and however many days of my life, too. I'm sorry for acting the way I have today it's just…I'm scared. Didn't you say that you get two weeks every nine months?" He nodded, knowing it would probably be longer this time because of the emergency leave he was on.

"What if something happens during those nine months? What if something happens to you over there? I mean, I love what you're doing for our country and I can't tell you how much I admire you for what you do, but…" She trailed off and they were silent for a minute. He turned her face to his gently with his hand,

"I know what you're saying and I understand where you're coming from but I'm willing to take that risk. I know it's going to be hard and I know it's not fair to make you wait. But I just want you to know I love you so much."

He looked away and she brought her hand up to his face. He looked back at her and she gave a small smile before leaning in and kissing him softly. She pulled away and put her forehead to his and smiled again,

"I want to take that risk, too." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her again, knowing that everything would be okay.

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><p><strong>:) Hope you enjoyed it! But things can't be all happy and good for long, Ben is going back in four days... we're already seeing Allison's response to it. What's gonna happen? Stay tuned! And please review! :)<strong>


	22. Chapter 21

****Whoo here's the next chapter! I'm so tired right now, but I wanted to go ahead and get this up. Hope you enjoy! :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

Ben and Allison spent all of their remaining free time together. They went bowling and had picnics downtown on the waterfront. She had practice for the church every night so they spent all of their days together. He spent time with this father while she was at practice and he told her about the time he was spending with Allison. On Tuesday night, he came home and his dad was sitting in the living room. When Ben came in, he stood up, with something in his hand. He looked down at what his dad was holding, and then looked back up at him,

"What is it, dad?"

"This came in the mail today, Ben. It's from the Air Force."

His dad handed it to him and left the room. He sat down on the couch and opened it up, dreading what he was about to read. When he got done reading it, he put it down and sighed; he could feel his heart start to ache. He knew it was coming, but to officially see it and see how long he was going to be gone for was heartbreaking. He sighed again and put his head in his hands.

The rest of the evening went by slowly. He went outside and backed his truck up to the garage and hooked the boat trailer up to it. He told Allison that he would take her out fishing in the river. He put all of the rods and reels in the back seat and headed inside. When he went inside, his dad didn't say anything to him; he probably figured Ben still needed to be alone. His eyes were drawn to the letter sitting on the table. He had thought about it for almost two hours; long after he had read it.

Eighteen months; he would be away from everyone and everything he loved for eighteen months. He thought continuously of this, and of Allison. He had to tell her and he was scared of her reaction; what if she said she couldn't do it? It wouldn't be fair to make her wait a year and a half for him. He had been running through a million scenarios in his head ever since he had read it. He didn't know what he would do if she said she couldn't do it. He loved her so much and, though they had only met a little over two weeks ago, he couldn't imagine her not being in his life. Two weeks; it had only been two weeks since he had met her, but it felt like he had known her forever.

* * *

><p>He went and got in the shower and then went in the living room where his father was sitting in his recliner. Ben sat down on the couch and they were silent for a while before his father asked,<p>

"How long do you go back for?"

"Eighteen months." His father sighed and shook his head. They were silent again until he asked,

"Does Allison have any idea?" He swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head,"

"No, she thinks I'm only going to be gone for half of that time."

"You didn't give her any warning at all that it was going to be longer?" He shook his head and his dad sighed,

"Oh, Ben, you should have at least prepared her for it; this is going to blindside her."

"I know, I've been thinking about it ever since I read it."

"Well, you need to tell her as soon as you see her again." He nodded and they were silent once again. After a couple of minutes, Ben said,

"Well I'm going to head to bed, okay?"

"Okay, and hey, if I don't see you in the morning, good luck." He gave a weak smile,

"Thanks."

He drove to Allison's house the next morning, with the letter in his pocket. When he got to her house, he walked up to the door and knocked on it. When she stepped out the front door, he smiled and couldn't help but stare at her. She had on a pair of shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top over her bathing suit. She had on a pair of sunglasses and a picnic basket in her hand; she had promised to make them a picnic lunch to eat on the boat. When she walked out, she smiles and stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

They unloaded the boat at the Kure Beach marina. They rode out, but not too far out. She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to be able to see the shore. They rode around for about fifteen minutes before he let Allison drive. She came up and sat on his lap and he showed her where the throttle was and what to do. Though she gunned it a couple of times at first, she quickly got the hang of it. She drove for about twenty minutes until she handed the controls back to him. She stayed on his lap, one arm around his neck, as he found a good spot for them to fish.

They ended up fishing for about an hour and a half before taking a break and eating the lunch Allison had packed. She had packed him a peanut butter sandwich and a pack of Doritos, which he had asked for the night before. She had packed for herself a turkey sandwich and a pack of Doritos, also.

They ate at the back of the boat on the 'couch.' They talked about different things and he told her that his father was going to come to her church on Sunday to watch her sing; this excited her to no end. He then felt the elephant hanging in his pocket. He had still avoided the subject; he didn't want to ruin their last full day together. He had promised himself that he would tell her before the afternoon was over.

They finished eating and fished a couple of more hours before he put his rod down and took his shirt off.

"Are you hot?"

"Yeah, a little bit." He shrugged his shoulder,

"Let's go swimming"

"What? In the ocean?" He laughed,

"Yeah in the ocean; where else would we go swimming?"

"But there are sharks and jellyfish in there…"

"Don't worry about them, they won't mess with you. They're more scared of you than you are of them."

"I don't think so…"

"Well you stay up here and be hot then."

He then hopped over the edge of the boat and into the water. He heard her call his name as he jumped and, a couple of seconds later, he popped back up.

"Come on!"

"No it's too cold."

"Fine; I guess I'll have to enjoy this all by myself." He floated on his back and she seemed to be debating until she finally took off her tank top and slipped off her shorts. He smiled and popped back up to face her.

"Will you catch me?"

"Of course."

"Do you promise?" He smiled,

"I promise."

She nodded before holding her nose and jumping over the side of the boat. He caught her and she popped back up. He smiled,

"See, that wasn't bad at all, was it?"

"No, it wasn't; it was fun, actually. Let's do it again."

* * *

><p>They spent the next hour in the water. They jumped off of the side of the boat, hand in hand, over and over again. He also held her as she floated on her back. He held her head as she extended her arms on both sides and closed her eyes. He smiled and couldn't help but stare at her as she lay out before him. He looked at his watch and saw that it was nearing 3:00. Though it was still early, he knew the time was coming for him to tell her the truth about how long he would be returning to Afghanistan for. She adjusted her body, breaking his concentration. He smiled and kissed her stomach as she laughed and squirmed.<p>

"Oh, you're ticklish right there?" She laughed,

"No, of course not."

"I think you are." He kissed her stomach again and she squirmed and sat up, splashing him,

"Stop, it tickles." He laughed and splashed her back,

"What? You just said it didn't tickle."

They splashed back and forth for a few minutes until he said,

"Okay, okay, I give up."

"Good, that's what I was hoping for." He smiled as she said,

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm waterlogged."

"Me too, do you want to head back?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"Well, how about we cuddle up on the boat and dry off for a few?" He smiled, how could he say no to that?

They swam to the back of the boat and he helped her stand up on the propeller and get in. After he helped her in, he did the same thing and hopped in. He sat down and leaned up against the side of the boat. She sat down in between his legs and leaned her head against his chest.

They sat, cuddling and laughing and kissing for the next hour. They talked about her church practices and he told her what he and his dad had been doing while she was practicing. Afterwards, there was a silence and Ben knew the time was near for him to tell her the truth. A knot formed in his throat as he realized the time was now. He reached for her hand,

"Allison I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

He took a deep breath and got up and walked across the boat and got the letter out of his shirt pocket. He picked it up and flattened it out against his chest and took a deep breath before turning around and handing it to her. She looked at him,

"What's that?"

"Read it."

She took it, reluctantly, and started to read it. He sat on the edge of the boat, across from her, and put his elbows on his knees. When she was done reading it, she looked up at him with a curious expression,

"I don't understand."

"Allison-"

"I thought you said nine months?"

"It usually is nine months."

"Then why does this say eighteen months?" He saw tears start to form in her eyes and his heart started to ache,

"Because I only went back for a couple of days; I was on a two-week leave before and then I only went back for a couple of days before I was granted an emergency leave because of my mom." She shook her head in confusion.

"Allison-"

"Wait, did you know that you would be going back for longer than nine months?"

He looked away, wishing he had been honest with her from the beginning and wishing he didn't have to say what he was about to.

"Yeah, I knew."

"And you didn't tell me?" He could hear the hurt in her voice and his heart started to ache even more. He knelt down in front of her,

"No, and I'm sorry. I didn't want you to worry about it; I didn't know for sure if it would be longer, I just found out yesterday."

"But you were pretty sure, weren't you?" He sighed and nodded, admitting the truth,

"Yeah, I knew it was going to be longer."

She looked away and he saw tears start to fall down her cheeks and her lip started to quiver. He felt tears start to form in his own eyes and he reached for her hand,

"Allison-" She shook her head and turned her head away from him. He looked down and she finally asked,

"Can we head back to the truck?"

* * *

><p>The ride back to the marina and the forty-five minute ride back to her house were silent. She was hurt and upset and he knew it was all because of him. He wished he would have been honest with her and wished he could change it. When they got back to her house, they pulled into the driveway. When they walked in, she walked to the kitchen to put up the picnic basket and he waited for her in the living room. He waited for a couple of minutes and, when she didn't come back, he walked in the kitchen. She was standing in the middle of the kitchen, with her head down.<p>

He took a couple of steps closer to her and realized she was crying silently. He stopped and she turned to face him. He could see the tears on her cheeks. He hated this; he hated seeing Allison this way. He wanted to see her smile, he wanted her to be happy and he hated that he was the reason they were being replaced with tears and sadness. She looked at him and said, barely audible,

"Please leave me alone, Ben."

"Allison-"

"Please, Ben, just leave me alone. I need to change before we go back out anyway."

Though he wanted to talk to her so they could work this out, he forced himself to leave. He walked out the front door and pounded down the steps, cursing himself and the letter and everything it stood for.

When he got back to his house, it was already going on 6:00. He figured he would leave to go back to Allison's house at 6:15. With the drive back home and the drive to her house again, that would give her nearly an hour to get ready and to be alone. His father was in the living room, but Ben didn't walk, in there, for he realized he needed some time alone, as well. He took a quick shower and put on a pair of jeans and a thin, long-sleeve shirt. He went to grab his keys off of the kitchen table as his father walked in to meet him. They didn't say anything at first, but then his father asked,

"How was your day?" Ben knew what he really wanted to know, so he skipped the introduction,

"I told her."

"What did she say?"

"Not much. She told me to leave her alone; that she needed time to think."

"Ben, I told you you should've told her from the beginning."

"I know, and I've spent all day wishing I could go back in time and change it, but I can't. And I'm just going to have to see what she says."

"Yeah, that's the only thing you can do Are you going to see her again tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm about to leave in a minute."

"Okay, and listen, she's probably still upset, so don't expect too much, all right?"

* * *

><p>As he drove to Allison's house, his nerves were through the roof. He had no idea what to expect and he prayed the entire way there. He was cared of what she was going to say; she could easily tell him that she couldn't do it. He was praying that wouldn't be the case and, as he approached her house, he knew he would find out in about five minutes. Her mom answered the door and let him in,<p>

"Are you hungry? I have leftovers from last night."

"No thank you. Actually-"

"You were looking for Allison."

"Yes ma'am." Her expression turned sad and he started to worry.

"She's in her room. And, Ben, please don't be too disappointed in her."

Now he was definitely worried. He walked down the hallway to her room and saw that her door was halfway open. Before going in, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He stuck his head in and his mouth suddenly became dry; she was sitting on her bed with her head in her hands. He knocked on the door again and she finally looked up at him. He saw tears streaming down her cheeks and she had on the same clothes that she had had on all day, which meant that she didn't get ready while he was gone. His mouth was dry as he asked,

"Are you okay?"

"No, no I don't think so." He didn't know whether to go comfort her or to just stand where he was. He had never been in this position before so he just stood where he was. She didn't say anything for a while but she eventually patted the bed beside her and said,

"Here, come sit down."

He tried to swallow the lump in this throat, but he couldn't. He sat down on the bed beside her and saw that her eyes were red and swollen. He took a deep breath and jumped right in,

"Allison, I'm sorry."

"Ben, don't."

"Just let me get this out. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that it was going to be longer than nine months. I didn't want you to be worried about it and I didn't want you to be upset. I wanted out time together to be perfect and I didn't stop to think about how it might affect you. I'm sorry."

She didn't say anything for a while and Ben began to worry even more. She finally said, without looking at him,

"I don't think I can do this, Ben." His heart dropped,

"What?"

"I can't do this."

He reached for her hand, confused. This couldn't be happening. He loved Allison with all of this heart; it couldn't end just like that.

"Allison, please don't say that. I love you so much, please." She looked away and shook her head, tears flowing from her eyes,

"I can't, Ben." His heart dropped even further and it felt on the verge of breaking.

"What about everything we've been through? I love you, Allison. I told you I was willing to do anything to make this work and I am. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it. But please don't tell me it's over. You're all that matters to me and I…"

He looked away as tears started to fill his eyes. She put her hand on his and he looked at her. She didn't say anything at first and he saw tears fall down her cheeks. She looked away,

"I can't, Ben."

He felt his heart break. He stood up and crossed the room as tears fell down his cheeks. This couldn't be happening. He didn't understand; everything was perfect between them. Now everything seemed to be falling apart. He turned around to face her and she had her head down.

"What happened? Everything was perfect. You're everything I ever wanted, Allison, and I want this more than I've ever wanted anything. What happened? You told me you were willing to take that risk, too." She was crying now and she said, in between the sobs,

"I thought I could. I love you, Ben, and I don't want you to think that I don't. It was easy to say that because we had time left together, but now I'm not so sure. And you didn't do anything wrong; nothing. This is all me and my weakness. But I can't do it, I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked and his heart did the same. He looked away, tears still in his eyes. He was angry, upset, confused, sad and every other emotion.

"So, what? It's over? Just like that?" She didn't say anything and he swallowed the lump that was still in his throat,

"Can I write to you?"

"I think it would be best if we don't talk at all." If his heart was still together at all, it broke when she said this.

"Allison, please-"

"Don't Ben; I'm sorry, I need to be alone."

"So this is it? This is the last time I'm ever going to see you or talk to you?"

"I think so."

He shook his head, his anger starting to come to the surface. He was going to day something, but he decided not to. He took one last look at her and forced himself to walk out of her room and down the hallway. He walked past the kitchen and saw her mom look his way. He didn't say anything, nor did he stop. He pounded down the steps and slammed the door to his truck shut. Allison didn't follow him, nor did she try and stop him.

As he drove back to his house, he was still in shock. Though he knew there was a possibility that she would say she couldn't make it, he never thought it would actually happen. As he drove, he saw more than a couple of people stare at him For what they were seeing was a man with tears streaming down his face, and a man trying to understand how everything in his life had fallen apart so quickly.

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><p><strong>Oh no! D: What in the world Heidi... I know, i'm a horrible person. Stay tuned to see what happens! What ya'll thinking about it so far? Give a sista a review! :)<strong>


	23. Chapter 22

****Whoo sorry I didn't update yesterday guys... I was super super busy. And i've been busy today but I wanted to get this shizz up cause I know you're all excited about dis! Haha hope you enjoy!****

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><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

When he finally got home, he went inside. He heard the T.V. in the living room, but didn't bother going in there. He needed to be alone; to think everything over. He went to his room and put on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Even though it was only 7:30, he crawled in his bed, mentally and physically tired from the day.

As he lay in his bed, he couldn't think about anything except for Allison. He was still in disbelief about what had happened and couldn't come to terms with the fact that it was over between them. He knew where she was coming from; she had perfect reason to be upset. He messed up and he knew it. But he knew that they could work it out; they were strong and, as a couple, he knew they could handle anything, even being apart from each other for eighteen months.

Somehow, he managed to fall asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he felt like he was waking up from a nightmare. When he realized the nightmare had been a reality, he sighed and immediately replayed their 'break-up' in his head. He lay there for a few more minutes before forcing himself to get up.

He didn't know what to do. He obviously wouldn't be spending the day with Allison and he didn't know if he should just laze around the house or try to go on as best as possible. He soon realized he didn't want do anything, for everything reminded him of Allison.

He walked into the living room and was surprised to find his father sitting on the couch. When he walked in, his dad smiled and Ben tried to do the same, but failed,

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I took off; it's your last day before you have to leave so I figured I would stay home. Even though you're probably going to be with Allison, I still took off." He looked away, deciding if he really wanted to talk about it. He finally sighed, wishing that what he was about to say wasn't true.

"She umm… she broke it off." His dad's expression turned to shock,

"What?"

"Yeah, that's why I came home so early last night." He shook his head and he felt tears start to form in his eyes,

"I don't know what happened; everything was fine until I showed her that letter. Then it all went downhill and she started saying that she couldn't do it. I begged her to change her mind, but she wouldn't. I asked her if I could write to her…she said she thought it would be best if we don't talk at all."

"God, Ben, I don't even know what to say."

"I don't either. I love her so much; more than I've ever loved anyone. I don't know what to do; should I try to call her or go and see her? Maybe she's changed her mind.

"I wouldn't go see her, she's probably still in shock. But you can try to call her." He nodded,

"I think I will."

* * *

><p>He waited an hour and a half before calling her. He decided that it had to be the longest hour and a half of his life. As he dialed the number to her house, he was filled with nerves. He took a deep breath as it was ringing and, after what felt like forever, her mom answered in a cheerful tone,<p>

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson." Her tone immediately changed when she heard his voice; it was now sad and deep,

"Oh, hi, Ben. How are you doing?"

"I'm good…actually I'm not doing too well. Do you think I could speak to Allison, please?" She didn't answer right away, then finally said,

"Oh, honey, she just stepped out to go for a walk." He sighed, getting the feeling that she was right there in the room, telling her mom to say that, but he played along anyway,

"Oh, okay, will you tell her when she comes in that I called?"

"I sure will."

"All right, thank you." They were silent for a minute, before she asked,

"How are you doing?"

"Not that great. I just don't get what happened; one minute we were saying how much we love each other and the next she's saying she wants to break it off. Do you have any idea what happened?"

"I honestly don't know, Ben. I tried to talk to her; it's not fair to you. But she told me the same thing she told you; she can't do it." He sighed, wishing more than anything that he could talk to her.

"All right, well thank you. Will you tell her I called?"

"I certainly will, I hope everything works out for you; you're a really good guy, Ben. Hopefully I'll get to talk to you again."

"Thank you. Good-bye Mrs. Johnson."

"Good-bye, Ben." He hung up the phone with tears in his eyes.

He stood by the phone for a couple of minutes before his dad wandered in to meet him. They stood together in silence for a minute before his dad asked,

"How did it go?"

He didn't answer right away; he was still going through the conversation in his head. She obviously hadn't changed her mind about the decision she had made and this realization almost killed him. He eventually turned to his father,

"She wouldn't take my call. Her mom answered and told me she had just stepped out for a walk." He said the last part though gritted teeth, knowing it wasn't true. His dad sighed,

"I'm sorry, Ben."

"I don't know what to do, she won't talk to me. I don't want to give up so easy but I don't know what else to do."

"To be honest, I don't think there is anything else you can do."

The rest of the day dragged on slowly. He tried to do different things but he realized that everything reminded him of Allison. So he stayed on the couch for most of the day, watching television with his father. They watched T.V. for almost five hours. At lunchtime, they took a break and he helped his father grill some chicken.

They ate their lunch in silence; their whole day so far had been silent. He wasn't up to talking about anything and, after a few attempts, his father left him and said no more. After they ate, they went back to the living room and spent the rest of the afternoon watching T.V. in silence.

* * *

><p>His plane was scheduled to leave at 7:00. They planned on leaving at 6:00 and, at 5:30, he wondered into his room and packed his things. He packed everything up in his duffel bag; the air force provided everyone with one. He changed into his uniform and, when he was dressed, he sat down on his bed. He sighed and put his head in his hands.<p>

He had thought non-stop about Allison; she had not returned his call. The phone rang once while they were watching T.V. and Ben hopped up as quickly as he ever had, only to hear a telemarketer asking for a donation. He had forced himself to not call her again; she had made her decision. No matter how much he wanted it to turn out different, he had to move on. He wandered back into the living room, where his father was sitting on the couch,

"You ready to go?" It was all Ben could do to swallow the lump in his throat and nod his head.

It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the airport. As they walked in, he realized that it was the first time he was at the airport without his mom standing beside him.

He missed his mom a lot. Now that she was gone, he realized how much she did around the house. Don't get him wrong, he thanked her every day for what she did. But he had never really realized all she did. He thought about her every day and regretted not telling her how much he appreciated what she did and how much he loved her.

They went inside and sat down in two of the rocking chairs in the lobby. They sat together for about fifteen minutes before he saw two people walking towards them. He smiled and stood up, shocked; Allison's parents were walking across the airport towards him. He was excited and surprised to see them, but he found himself looking over their shoulders to see if they had anyone else with them. He was sad to see that they were alone but, when they drew closer, her mom smiled and extended her arms toward him. He smiled again and hugged her,

"How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm good, how about you?" They both smiled,

"We're good." He smiled and turned around,

"Dad, this is Eric and Rachel Johnson; Allison's parents."

His father stood up and her mom smiled and gave him a hug,

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Carter."

"You, too, I've heard a lot of things about you all. And Allison's a wonderful girl, you should be proud."

"Thank you, as with Ben. He's a great guy and you should be proud, also."

They all sat down together and continued to talk. While they were talking, he looked at his watch and saw that it was 6:30; he decided he would head through the terminal at 6:50 to board his plane at 7:00. His eyes also kept wandering to the entrance of the airport. He knew she wouldn't be coming, but he couldn't stop his eyes from looking that way. Her mom broke his concentration,

"Are you okay, Ben?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I still can't believe you both came though; how did you know when my plane was leaving?" The smile slowly faded from her mom's face as her dad said,

"Allison told us." He looked away and nodded. His heart started to ache and he was surprised at how much it hurt just hearing her name. He looked back at them and took a deep breath,

"How is she?"

"I honestly don't know, Ben. We've both tried to talk to her but she won't talk to us. She's been cooped up in her room ever since you left yesterday. She hasn't come out." He nodded and they were silent. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 6:50. His father saw him look at his watch,

"What time is it?"

"6:50."

"You should be getting going, huh?" As much as he didn't want to, he nodded,

"Yeah, my plane leaves at 7."

All four of them stood up and his eyes kept wandering to the entrance, hoping for a miracle. He turned to her father first and held out his hand,

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Johnson and thank you for letting me spend all of this time with Allison; it really has meant a lot."

"No problem, Ben, you're a good guy. Come back safely, okay?" He nodded and gave him a quick hug before turning to her mom and hugging her as well.

"You be safe out there, okay?"

"I will. He gave her another quick hug and his eyes were drawn to the entrance again He forced himself to look away and he turned towards his father and gave him a hug.

"Be careful, all right?"

"I will; are you going to be okay here while I'm gone?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I love you, Ben." He smiled and gave him another quick hug,

"I love you too, dad."

He pulled away and found his eyes being drawn to the entrance again. He stood there, stalling for time, hoping, once again, for a miracle. He couldn't help it and he glanced back and forth between his father, Allison's parents and the entrance. When he glanced again at the entrance, her mom followed his gaze and then looked back at him, sighing,

"She's not coming, Ben."

He looked at her and finally nodded, knowing she was right. He lent down and grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He said another quick good-bye to each of them and took a final look at the entrance before turning around and heading towards the gate. While he was walking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his plane ticket. As he neared the terminal, he heard someone shout his name. He turned around and his heart skipped a beat. Running, full tilt, towards him was Allison.

* * *

><p>She yelled his name again and it broke him free of the shock he was in. He dropped his bag and ran to her. When they got close, she jumped in his arms and Ben felt like he had been put together after being split in half for what seemed like forever. As soon as she jumped in his arms, she immediately started apologizing over and over,<p>

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." He tightened his grip and held her tight, suddenly getting tears in his eyes. He held her off of the ground and she pulled back to look at him,

"I'm so sorry, Ben, please forgive me. I was so stupid to ever break up with you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay; don't be sorry, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for not telling you about the letter sooner."

"You don't have to be sorry; I overreacted, I don't know what I was thinking. I love you so much, Ben." He grinned and she threw her arms around his neck. He didn't know how long he held her, but when she pulled back, he put his forehead to hers

"I love you, too."

She smiled and leaned in and kissed him softly. And he knew that nothing could ever come between them again. They kissed for a couple of minutes before they heard, over the intercom, that his plane would be boarding in about five minutes. She pulled away and he finally put her down. She slipped her arms around his neck and he held her close. He put his forehead to hers as she said,

"I'm sorry for everything-"

"Don't be, it's okay" She smiled and closed her eyes and whispered,

"I've thought about you all last night and all day today. I've been cooped up in my room since you left and I haven't been able to do anything. Every time I tried to do something, it reminded me of you. I don't know what I was thinking; I was being selfish and I was only thinking about myself. I didn't stop to think about you; I thought if I broke up with you, it would stop me from worrying or thinking about you. But you were all I could think about. You're all I ever wanted, Ben and I couldn't imagine living my life knowing you're not here with me. I promise I'll always be here and I promise I'll stay here, waiting for you."

He smiled, knowing he loved her, not only for now, but for as long as he lived. The same voice came over the intercom again and announced that his plane was now boarding. As much as he didn't want to, as much as he wanted to say here, in Wilmington with Allison, he forced himself to say,

"I've got to get going."

"I know. I just couldn't let you leave without telling you that I was sorry and how much I love you." Tears were flooding her eyes as his heart slowly started to break. He leaned in and kissed her, bringing his hand up to her check and stroking it gently.

"I love you, too, more than you'll ever know. I promise I'll write and call all of the time."

She smiled and he gave her another kiss before forcing himself to let her go. He knelt down and threw his bag over his shoulder,

"Bye, Allison." She tried to smile, but failed. A few tears trickled down her face as she said,

"Bye, Ben."

His heart was breaking as he forced himself to turn around and walk through the terminal, away from everyone and everything he loved.

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><p><strong>:D You guys really didn't think that would be the last of them did you? Well, this is the last chapter of part 1, so part 2 starts next chapter! How exciting! It starts to get kind of like Dear John in a way, cause they do write letters back and forth, but I promise, the story is totally different, and will be totally different, especially in the later chapters, what happens will shock you! What's going to happen? Stay tuned! oh and review...if you want... :D<strong>


	24. Chapter 23 Part 2

**Hello hello hello! Here's the first chapter of part 2! This is my second update today! whoop whoop. Thanks to Mumford and Sons and Red Hot Chili Peppers for keeping me awake! Hope you guys are enjoying dis story! :)**

**Mihaela: Haha I'm so so so glad you're enjoying it! I didn't mean for it to make you cry haha! You're review almost made me cry! It means so much, thank you! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

Getting on the plane back to Afghanistan was the hardest thing he had ever done. As he got on the plane, he saw more than one marine and navy recruit, as well as a couple of fellow Air force men. As he was going through the security earlier, he noticed an envelope in the side pocket of his bag. He looked and saw that it was from Allison and he slipped it in his pocket as he boarded the plane.

He put his things in the cubby above his seat and helped an older woman load her things into her cubby as well. He sat down, the letter in his lap, and buckled his seatbelt. He took a deep breath and opened the letter as the plane made its way off of the runway and into the air.

_Dear Ben,_

_By the time you read this, I will have already told you how sorry I am for doing what I did to you. I will have already apologized a million times and let me tell you, once again, how truly sorry I am and how much I love you. Meeting you has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. These past two weeks; two weeks, can you believe that? It seems like so much longer and, in that short amount of time, I've come to believe that we were meant to be together. I've also come to realize that, together, we can do anything. And, as the seconds roll by, I'm that much closer to seeing you again. That's another thing I realized; time only moves forward. I'm that much closer to seeing you and being in your arms once again. Whenever I feel sad or depressed, I remind myself of this and it helps me to go on. I love you so much, Ben, and I promise to be here when you come back. I'll be right here waiting for you to come back to me. _

_ Love, Allison_

As he finished reading the letter, he had tears in his eyes. He also had the biggest smile on his face that he couldn't seem to wipe off. He knew that writing letters like this would be the key to keeping their relationship alive, even with a year and a half apart.

* * *

><p>When he arrived in Afghanistan, a taxi picked him up from the airport and took him to the base. As they drove, he looked out of the window at how different Afghanistan was compared to America. In America, you hardly ever saw mothers and fathers, along with their young children, on the side of the street begging for money. But, here in Afghanistan, people drove and walked by like it was nothing.<p>

He also read Allison's letter to him again. Along with the letter, she had also included two pictures; one of him and her at the aquarium and the other, the one of her and her family that he had seen on her desk. He smiled and looked at both of the pictures until they reached the base. When they got there, he walked to his room, where Matt was sitting on his bed. When he saw Ben come in, he hopped up,

"Hey, Ben!" He put his bag down and shook his hand,

"Hey, Matt, how are you doing?"

"I'm good; we just got back from Kuwait."

"What happened?"

"We had to rescue some hostages. Its hell down there though, man. We managed to maintain a little bit of peace, but it'll be temporary. We'll probably be sent somewhere else before too long." He nodded and took Allison's letter out of his pocket and put it on the end table beside his bed. Matt must have seen it because he smiled and motioned to it,

"Oh, what's that?"

"It's nothing, mind your own business." He scoffed,

"Don't give me that. Come on, tell me." He smiled, knowing he would never catch a break if he didn't tell him,

"It's a letter from my girlfriend." Matt sat up again,

"What? Your girlfriend? What's her name? Is she pretty?"

He looked at him and then went back to unpacking his things, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Even though he had only just left hours ago, he missed Allison terribly. He knew the next eighteen months would be the longest and hardest eighteen months of his life. But he was constantly reminded of what Allison had said. Every second and minute that passes is another step closer to seeing her and holding her in his arms again. Matt broke his concentration by laughing,

"You're in love aren't you?"

"How do you know?"

"It's plain as day, it's written all over your face." He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I'm in love."

"I told you man, there's nothing better. Just wait until you go back and see her and she jumps in your arms. There's no better feeling in the world." He nodded, wishing he could take her in his arms right that second, but knowing it wouldn't happen for another eighteen months.

"How long are you back for?"

"Eighteen months."

"What? A year and a half? Why so long?"

"I don't know, probably because I only came back for a couple of days before going on that emergency leave."

"Man, that's a long time. You better call, e-mail or even write as much as you can."

"I know. Speaking of, do you have a pen and a piece of paper?"

* * *

><p>The next couple of months dragged by. Like Matt had predicted, they were sent down to a city called Tehran. There was chaos down there; a couple of men had decided they were going to try and take over their small city singlehandedly. So Ben and his team, including Matt and other men that he had talked to, were sent to 'restore the peace' even though 'restoring the peace' wasn't in their job description.<p>

While they were down there, everyone came up to them, begging them to help with problems that weren't theirs to solve. Eventually, the marines showed up and took over, helping the local people with their problems. So, after three months in Tehran, they were finally sent back to their base in Afghanistan.

During these three months, he wrote to Allison as much as he could. With the location they were in, there was no way to set up an internet connection and the line to use the phone was always backed up. So they constantly wrote letters back and forth. He usually received her letters about every five or six days and, by the time he returned back to the base, he had received sixteen letters from her.

He missed her terribly and he could tell by her letters that she missed him, too. Their letters were the key to maintaining their relationship for the eighteen months they were forced to be apart. He always found himself looking for her letters, even when it was a day when he knew they wouldn't be coming. But, whenever he did receive her letters, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. He loved to hear how she was doing and what she was doing. In those three months, she had done a lot of things.

About a week after he went back, she received a letter, telling her that she had been accepted to UNCW. She was ecstatic and immediately applied for the nursing program they were offering. The next couple of weeks 'flew by' for her. She moved out of her parents' house and into her dorm on campus; every freshman was required to live on campus for their first year.

After she sung with the church on the Sunday after he had left, more people had come up to her after the service and told her how good she was. They could tell that she was 'spiritually-filled with the lord' and this excited her so much; she couldn't wait to keep singing with them. Though he loved to hear how and what she was doing, he loved the ending of her letters the most for, every time, she would tell him how much she missed him and how much she loved him. Like this paragraph he received in her third letter,

_I miss you so much, Ben. I think about you all of the time and I can't wait until these eighteen months are up so we can be together again. I understand you have a job to do and I can't tell you how proud I am of the job you're doing. But, when these eighteen months __are__ up and I see your face again and feel your arms around me, I know these months without you will be forgotten. I'll be the happiest girl in the word at that moment, for you're the thing that makes me the most happy. But, until then, I'll continue to write you and count down the days until I see you again. I love you so much, Ben._

And this one he received a couple of days after the Sunday she sang at the church,

_When I was singing with the church this Sunday, you're face kept popping in my head. For you're the reason I'm standing up on that stage today. Every time I heard Lead Me to the Cross, I think of you. I love you so much._

And this paragraph from one of the most recent letters,

_I'm so happy to hear that you made it back safely. Even though it scares me to hear you talk about what you do, I need to hear it. _

_ Last night, I drove down to the beach; the first time in three months, since you left. I went to the same spot that you took me on our first official date; the night you first told me that you loved me. I sat there, replaying our two weeks together and, for a second, it felt like you were sitting beside me. I looked up at the stars and found the two constellations you told me about that night._

_ Fifteen months; that's all we have left. As the months roll by, it gets harder to imagine your face. You should really consider sending me a picture; you wouldn't want me to forget what you look like, would you? I'm kidding, of course. I could never forget your face, even if I wanted to. I replay your smile and goofy expressions all the time and recall the feeling of your hand in mine. This helps me to move forward and crossing the days off of my calendar make it possible for me to continue my somewhat routine. I have to go for now; I'm actually going to visit with your father. He surprised me with a phone call the other day and asked me if he could make me dinner. How sweet, huh? _:) _I'll leave you with these last few words; I love you, Ben, with all of my heart forever._

_ Love, Allison_

* * *

><p>When they arrived back from Tehran, the days and months that followed were eventful. They were watching the Iraqi's closely, waiting to see if they were going to do anything that would make them spring into action.<p>

It was quiet for the next two months. They stayed on the base in Afghanistan, taking classes and going over mission plans that might be needed if the Iraqi's surprised them and made a move. So Ben and his fellow airforcemen fell into an easy routine. For Ben, he woke up at 6:30 every morning and did the same thing he did when he was home; jog. He jogged around the base every morning for a full hour. Then, he would return to the base, shower, eat breakfast, and, depending on the day, read one of Allison's letters or take out a pen and a piece of paper and write one himself.

He also received letters from his father. He got them almost every ten or eleven days. He enjoyed getting letters from his dad; he wanted to know what he was doing, if only to make sure he was doing okay without anyone there with him. He sounded fine, great actually, in his letters and told him everything he was doing. He had kept his word by going to see Allison sing at her church the Sunday after he left and, afterwards, had taken her and her parents out to lunch.

He was surprised when he read this, for Allison had never mentioned it. He wrote to her and asked her why she had never mentioned it and she replied by saying that he had asked her to not say anything about it; he wanted to tell Ben himself. This made him smile and, in the same letter from his father, he told him that he and Allison had begun to have dinner together every Sunday after church. As well as going to see Allison sing, he had stayed for the message and found himself taking a liking to the preacher and also found himself going again the following week, and the week after that. Going to Allison's church and having dinner afterwards had become part of his weekly routines. He always closed his letters by wishing Ben good luck with everything and asking him to be safe. He also ended with the promise that he would write again.

It had been almost nine months since he had left and, in that time, Allison had applied, and gotten into, UNCW and moved out of her parents' house and into her dorm on campus. She had informed him that it was an 'all-girl' dorm and he had to admit, this didn't bother him. He trusted Allison with all of his heart, of course, and he knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt or betray him but it was the college guys he was worried about. When he had told her about these worries, he could almost picture her laughing when she read it. She replied by saying,

_Believe me, Ben; you have absolutely nothing to worry about. We've been apart for nine months; we're halfway there! Can you believe that? We've made it through the first half and I have a feeling these final nine months are going to be a piece of cake. Though we've been apart, it feels like we've grown closer, despite the many miles between us. _

_Once again, you don't have anything to worry about. None of the guys on this campus, or on any campus in the world, could make me feel the way you make me feel. I continue to flip the calendar months and count the days until I see you again. I love you so much and, until next time,_

_ Love, Allison_

* * *

><p>All in all, they stayed on the base in Afghanistan for almost six months. At the end of December, a couple of days before Christmas, they were told they were going to be sent to Iran on a mission at the start of the new year. He was also personally told that he would be one of the few that would be leading teams in the air; their job was to provide air support for the marines on the ground. The marines would be advancing, trying to get into enemy territory, and it was Ben and a couple of other people's job to lead their team in providing air support, which, he was told, included shooting from the rattling gun in the plane and dropping bombs behind enemy lines.<p>

They were told this on the twentieth; five days before Christmas. After they were released from the meeting, he rushed back to his room. He had to get Allison's Christmas present to their 'postman.' He usually came around 4:30 in the afternoon. He took all of their mail and put it on a helicopter, where it would be delivered to whoever it was supposed to be delivered to, in his case, Allison.

A couple of days ago, he had went to three different jewelry stores and finally found what he was looking for. He had bought her a necklace with a silver cross on it and a matching silver bracelet.

He rushed back to his room and grabbed her present, as well as his letter to her and to his father, and rushed to where the mailman was walking up. Ben jogged up to him and handed him the two letters and the package.

"Hey can you deliver this for me?"

"Yes sir, no problem"

"Thank you. Be careful with it, okay?"

"All right, I'll give it to them right now."

"Okay, thanks again."

"No problem."

* * *

><p>The next couple of days were quiet and, on Christmas Eve, he and Matt sung Christmas carols in their room for almost two hours. They ended up going out and buying a small, fake tree and putting it in their room. After setting it up, a couple of guys came by their room and asked them if they wanted to go with them to grab a beer. Matt accepted, but Ben stayed behind.<p>

For the rest of the night, he stayed in his room and lay on his bed, thinking about a lot of things. He took out the two pictures Allison had include in her first letter and stared at them for hours, especially the one of her and him. They had gotten someone to take their picture while they were at the aquarium and, in the picture, they were standing in front of the shark exhibit and he was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her stomach. She was leaned into him with her head laid back on his shoulder. They were both smiling and he stared at it for almost two hours, wishing, more than anything, that he could take her in his arms.

After about two and a half hours, he finally put the pictures down and climbed into bed. Before going to sleep, he prayed, like he did every night. On his first night back, he had thanked the Lord for bring Allison back to him. He prayed every night and found himself praying at random times throughout the entire day. He had even when and bought a bible and, whenever he had quiet time, he would begin reading and studying it. He had even found a small group that met on Sundays and he went to more than a few of their services.

When he finished praying, he closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>Hmmm so nothing too terribly important in this chapter. But I thought it was pretty cool to see what they've been doing and how they're making it with being apart. I don't think I could be apart from someone I loved for eighteen months do you? :0 I guess if I loved them, I could. Kudos to them. Well, see you next chapter! And please hit dat review button! ;)<strong>


	25. Chapter 24

****Yo yo yo :D So someone private messaged me and asked me a question that I thought was hilarious. Not gonna say any names. But they asked me if I was white or black. Hahaha I dunno why, it just cracked me up. I guess cause I type like i'm black sometimes in my author's notes. But, just to clarify, I am white. Not that I think it matters, but someone felt it was important to ask haha. And what's funny is i'm like the whitest white girl ever, but I just type and text this way sometimes :D Well, enjoy the story! :)****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 24**

He was awoken the next morning, Christmas morning, by Matt and a couple of his other friends singing Christmas carols at 9:00. He rolled out of the bed, quickly waking up, and joined them in singing.

They paraded around their barracks, singing, before they all headed to the mess hall to grab some breakfast. After they ate, the headed down to the local movie theatre and watched, what Ben thought to be, the best Christmas movie ever made; A Christmas Story. By the time it was over and they got back to the base, it was 2:00. When they got back to the base, the postman was just arriving and they all quickly got out and ran over to him.

It took him a while to distribute everything, but he finally got to Ben. He pulled out two letters and two packages and Ben smiled and thanked him before quickly slipping away from the huge group and running back to his room.

When he got back to his room, he looked at his mail and saw who they were from; he had a letter and a package from his father, as well as a package and letter from Allison. Though he was dying to read Allison's letter and see what she got him, he reached for his dad's letter and package first. He opened the package, guessing the letter would say something about the gift.

He opened the package and found something that surprised him; inside was his father's watch. He was surprised; it was his father's favorite watch and he wore it all the time. He reached for the letter and opened it up and began reading,

_Dear Ben,_

_Let me start off by saying Merry Christmas. I hope you're doing well and keeping safe. Did you like your present? You're probably wondering why I gave you y favorite watch, aren't you? _

_I never told you this, but that watch was your grandfather's. He passed it on to me when I was your age on Christmas day. It was the same situation as this; I was in the Air Force, I was 23 and I was away at Christmas, also. My sad sent me this watch and told me to keep it. It's been passed down through almost ten decades I'm continuing the tradition and passing it on to you. I hope you like it and I hope you'll continue this tradition one day. I love you Ben and I hope you're keeping safe and warm out there. I promise to write soon. _

_ Love, Dad_

He smiled and, when he finished reading the letter, he folded it up and put it back in the envelope. He grabbed the package and took out the watch and put it around his wrist. He smiled again and examined it and threw the wrapping away. He turned back to the rest of his mail and smiled, knowing he had saved the best for last. He sat back down on his bed and, repeated the process by reaching for the package. He opened it up and he found something that surprised him even more than his previous gift; inside was a video tape. He was surprised at first, but then grew excited. Luckily, they had a T.V. and a V.C.R. in their room and he quickly crossed the room and popped in the tape and mashed play.

* * *

><p>By the time he finished watching it, he had tears in his eyes. He touched the screen, wishing now, more than ever, that he could be with her, holding her in his arms. The tears in his eyes were both tears of sadness and tears of happiness. She had made him a video letter. It started off at her house, in her room. She must have set the camera on her dresser and it started off with just her in the frame, with a huge smile on her face. When he first saw her, his heart skipped a beat, like it always did when he saw her, and he immediately got tears in his eyes,<p>

"Hi, Ben! It's a couple of days before Christmas and I decided to make you a video letter for your Christmas present. So, let's get started!" It turned off for a second then cut back on and Allison's mom appeared in the frame,

"Hi, Ben. Merry Christmas! All is good here and we all hope you're doing well over there. Allison has told us all about what you're doing and we're all so proud of you for doing what you do. Well, I have to get back to baking these Christmas cookies. Be safe over there and have a Merry Christmas! We're all counting down the days until you get back! See you soon!" He smiled again as the camera turned off for a second, before it cut back on and his father appeared in the frame. He smiled, happy to see his father again, and he began,

"Hey, Ben. Hope you're doing all right over there. I get your letters, of course, and you sound good in them. By the time you get this video letter, you'll probably have already gotten your gift from me. I hope you like it and I'm excited to give it to you. It gave me and your grandfather good lick and I hope it continues for you. Well, I better be going; I know Allison's eager to talk to you. I love you, son. Stay safe." He smiled again and the camera cut off. He was wondering if her father was going to come on next, but he didn't. Instead, Allison's sister appeared in the frame. He was surprised; he had never met her before, but was excited to see what she would say,

"Hello, Ben." She looked over the camera, obviously at Allison,

"It is Ben, right?" She laughed and he heard Allison laugh, too. It was the first time he had heard her laugh in almost ten months and he grinned. He missed her melodic laugh and her sister continued,

"I'm kidding; I know your name is Ben. Allison talks about you constantly. But, really, I feel like I already know you and I can't wait to finally meet you. Thank you for what you're doing for our country and I look forward to meeting you! Talk to, and see you soon!"

She smiled and waved and the camera cut off again. He smiled, knowing he was going to like her sister when they finally got a chance to meet. There was a clamor outside of his room and he turned his head to see what it was, but he didn't see anything; only a couple of men running by. When they camera back on, he turned his attention back to the T.V. and saw Allison back in her room, where the video tape had begun. He smiled; he had smiled more in the last few minutes than he had in almost ten months. She was sitting at her desk and from her chest up was the only thing in the frame. She smiled and it immediately made him smile. He touched the screen where her face was and smiled, wishing more than anything that he could see her and hold her in his arms.

"Hi, Ben. It's a couple of days before Christmas, as I already mentioned. I'm going to try and send this tomorrow so, hopefully, it will reach you on Christmas day. If it's a couple of days late, I'm sorry. I hope you like your present; I thought it would give you some love from home and to see that we haven't forgotten about you in these long months. Like my sister said, she's really excited to meet you I've told her all about you." The smile slowly faded from her face, and it began to get serious. He suddenly felt a little nervous.

"You're probably wondering why you didn't get a video clip from my dad. A couple of days ago, we had to take him to the hospital. He was coming home from work and he called the house on his cell phone and I answered it. He told me that he was having massive headaches and that his vision was getting blurry and he could hardly see. I immediately told him to pull off of the road; he couldn't keep driving like that. I told my mom that my dad told me and she told me to tell him that we would come get him and take him to the hospital. When we got there, we pulled off of the road where his car was and…we thought he was just taking a nap in the seat, but he was unconscious." She took a deep breath as a tear trickled down her face and gave a small laugh,

"I'm sorry, this is supposed to be a happy Christmas present and I' turning it into a sad one. But I want you to know; my dad told me after you left that he really liked you and that you two bonded. We took him to the hospital and he gained consciousness shortly after he was admitted. He's still in there and we're waiting to get the results of the tests they ran. He was upset that he wouldn't get to do a little video clip, but he told me to tell you hi and that he hopes you're doing well." She smiled,

"So now it's my turn to have my little video segment." He smiled as she started,

"Should I start off by telling you how much I love you? Or that, in these ten months we've been apart, it feels as though we've brown closer? Checking the mail is something a lot of people don't think about, but it's something I look forward to every day. Writing letters to you is so romantic and I'm so happy I'm experiencing it with you. I love that you're on the receiving end of my letters and that I'm on the receiving end of yours." She smiled,

"We only have eight more months left. We've got this, Ben. Eight more months until I see you; eight months until you take me in your arms again. I've never told you this, but, when I'm walking, I suddenly feel your hand in mine. And whenever I smile, I immediately think of you; I smiled and laughed more in those two weeks with you than I had in a long time.

My mom used to tell me to never wish my life away but, since you left, I've found myself wishing these eighteen months away. I know that I shouldn't and these past ten months have already been really eventful. Like I told you, I moved out of my parents' house and got accepted to UNCW; I'll tell you more about college in my letter. I'll be doing an internship at the hospital in a few months and I'm really excited. But, even though all of this has happened, I still wish these eighteen months were up. I'm still counting down the days and I will until August 5th. We still have a little ways to go, but I believe with all of my heart that we can make it. I love you so much Ben and can't wait until I see you coming towards me again. I hope you like this." She smiled and waved before kissing the lens and cutting the camera off.

When it was over, he cut it off, with tears in his eyes. It was a perfect gift; probably one of the best gifts he had ever gotten. He smiled and popped the video out of the V.C.R. and put it back in the package. He then sat down on his bed and opened up her letter,

_Dear Ben,_

_Merry Christmas! I don't know if you've already opened your present or not; if you haven't, I'm sorry for spoiling it. You should probably stop reading this and open it._

_It you have watched it, I hope you liked it. Like I said on the video, I thought it would give you some love from all of us here. I hope this reaches you on Christmas day, if it doesn't I'm sorry._

_This letter is going to be kind of short; I said a lot in the video letter. But, like I said, I'll tell you what's been going on in college. My teachers are wonderful and they've given me great advice. They're really supportive and have actually recommended some extra cases and programs I can take. I'm really excited about all of it; like I said I'm going to start an internship at the hospital in a few months. I'm going to a meet with one of the pediatric doctors in a couple of days to talk with her. I'm really excited and I'm really looking forward to it. _

_Well I better get going, I'm writing this at my parents' house and I have class in about an hour. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I found a car that's perfect! I've been saving up for a long time and I found one for a good price and I'm probably going to be getting it soon._

_Like I said, I have to go to class, so until next time, I love you and promise to write soon._

_ Love, Allison_

When he was finished reading, he folded it up and put it back in the envelope. He smiled, thinking that with these gifts he now had the strength to make it through these final eight months.

But, at that moment, Matt busted through the door with a nervous expression on his face.

* * *

><p>"Matt, what is it?"<p>

"Did you hear a lot of people in the hallway?"

"Yeah, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, why?" Matt took a deep breath,

"General Roberts is dead" He raised an eyebrow, shocked,

"What?"

"He was in his office when it happened. Somehow, one of the Iraqi snipers got in and took him out. I don't know what happened, but the whole base was scrambling. Luckily, it was only one of them and about forty guys took him out. But now everyone is on high alert, waiting to see if they're going to attack again. I came in here to get you; we're all going to get our mission plans. They're busy writing them up right now; my guess is we'll probably be sent somewhere to take someone out. We better be heading over there, you coming?" He nodded as he stood up,

"Absolutely, let's go."

When they walked out of their room, the entire hallway was full of men rushing to the same place they were headed. Ben and Matt followed them when a voice came over the intercom,

"Everyone please report to the mess hall at this time."

When they got there a couple of the lieutenants were standing at the front. Everyone took a seat and one of the lieutenants stepped up and greeted them,

"As you know, a tragedy has struck us. One of our Generals was shot and killed by an Iraqi sniper. Now we don't know how he got into the base, but we're quickly trying to get to the bottom of this." Then, a man walked up on stage and whispered in the lieutenant's ear. The lieutenant thanked him and turned back to face them,

"All right, we just found out that General Roberts was executed by one of the Iraqi soldiers under one of the men who had tried to take over the city of Tehran. That's all the information we have right now, but we can tell you, you better be ready to move out. We're pairing up with the marines and the Iraqi's are going to pay."

When he said this, the whole mess hall started to clap and yell in agreement. The lieutenant smiled and nodded,

"Okay, okay calm down. Head back to your barracks and get some sleep; I have a feeling some of us will be heading to Iraq in the next couple of days."

* * *

><p>The next couple of days were quiet. Ben guessed they were still in contact with the marines and were probably making, and coming up with, battle plans. On the 29th, four days after Christmas and after the meeting, they were all called into the mess hall once again.<p>

The same two lieutenants that spoke to them a couple of days ago were standing up a t the front where they were at when they last talked to them. When everyone had sat down, the lieutenant stepped up and quieted everyone.

"Okay, as you know, we've been working with the marines these last couple of days and we've come up with our plan. A couple of you were supposed to be going with the marines in the air, but we've canceled that mission and those that were going on it are being transferred to this mission.

We did some tracking and we located the man who's responsible for killing General Roberts, as well as trying to take over Tehran. He's in Fallujah, which is a city in Iraq. The marines have some undercover spies down there and they were able to find out where he is. We have a list right here of the men being sent on this mission; Tyson Hitter, Alex Jones, Greg Wood, Matt Sterling, Ben Carter, Carl Kuney, Kyle Johnson, and there's a lot more. The list will be up here; for everyone who's going, get a good night's rest. We head out bright and early tomorrow morning."

The next morning he was awoken by Matt at his bedside,

"Ben, wake up."

"What?"

"Come on, we're being sent out." He sat up, still half asleep,

"Right now?"

"Yeah, come on, we're loading up. And you, my friend, are flying today."

"Really?"

"Yep, they just announced it this morning; we're being transferred to a base near Fallujah where the guy is. You're flying us down there, big fella, so come on."

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><p><strong>Hmm hope you guys liked it! I thought the video letter was pretty cool :D I hope these chapters of when he's away isn't too boring, I didn't want to be like "oh he goes back for eighteen months" and then the next chapter, or paragraph even, be that he's already come home. I wanted ya'll to experience kind of what they're both going through in being away from each other. I try to make it as interesting as possible for ya'll. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please review!<strong>


	26. Chapter 25

**Whoo here's the next chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying it! A special thanks to foxyricanlady for favoriting the story! :D **

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><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

The next six months flew by. The day they shipped out, he ended up flying himself, as well as thirty other air force men down to Fallujah to their new 'home' for the next six months.

When they arrived at the base, they set up their rooms and, for the next five and a half months, they worked with the marines, making and going over battle plans. They practiced regularly; they would set up targets in the field and Ben, along with many other pilots, would practice flying by and shooting down the targets.

His relationship with Allison also strengthened during these six months. The base they were stationed at was very good about keeping computers up and running. Along with writing letters back and forth, he called her for the first time since he had left, fifteen months ago. He didn't warn her about the call; he wanted it to be a surprise and a surprise it was. When she answered the phone and found out it was Ben, she screamed in excitement and immediately started crying. Though he had heard her voice on the video letter it was the first time she had heard his voice in fifteen months.

They talked on the phone for nearly thirty minutes. Despite how badly he wanted to continue talking to her, he forced himself to end the conversation first. The line for the phone was growing and he forced himself to tell her good-bye. He promised to call again soon and he told her how much he loved her.

With the base having internet connection, he also had video chats with her. He went to the local electronics store and bought himself a webcam. Late at night he would sneak out of his room and down to the computer. The first time they had a video chat, she cried like she did when he surprised her with the phone call. When he saw her, he couldn't help but get tears in his eyes.

They ended up talking on the webcam for almost three hours. There was never a dull or quiet moment and they talked and laughed for ours before he forced himself to tell her good-night. Before getting off, he put his hand up to the camera and touched it. He saw her get tears in her eyes before she slowly brought her hand up to the screen and touched it, where his hand was. They stared at each other and, for the tiniest second, it felt like they were together again.

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><p>At the end of June, their fifth month at the base in Fallujah and him and Allison's fifteenth month apart, they were finally ready to carry out their mission plans. They would move through the city of Fallujah where the man they were looking for was located. They didn't know where he was exactly, but they had connections in the city and they had provided them with possible locations.<p>

The night before they left to carry out the mission, he wrote a letter to Allison and his father, asking them both to pray for him He gave them to the postman and he promised to deliver them as soon as possible. As he lay in the bed that night, he prayed and thanked God for the day and with the request that he would keep him safe and get him through this.

They headed out bright and early the next morning. They marines would be moving through the city on foot, with Ben and the other pilots lagging behind overhead. It took them a couple of hours to get to Fallujah and, while the marines moved through the city, trying to locate their man, Ben and his fellow pilots circled the city in the air, looking to see if anything looked suspicious. There were three other planes, besides Ben's, with about fifteen air force men in each.

They circled the city for about an hour until the marines radioed them and that they had discovered his location. They had found a group of people that were angry at their guy and told them that he was hiding out in a bunker just outside of the city.

The group of men directed them to the bunker and Ben and the other pilots followed them in the air. They stopped outside of the bunker and the marines thanked the men for their help and the men turned and began their trek back to the city.

The marines radioed them up in the air and described their plan. They were going to go down into the bunker and find their guy. Their job in the sky was to maintain visual contact of the bunker and watch the front and back of the bunker in case he tried to escape.

They circled the bunker for almost forty-five minutes until the marines yelled in the radio that he was trying to escape out of the back. Ben and the other pilots immediately turned their attention to the back and saw a huge group running towards the sand hills. Ben turned the front of the plane towards the group and focused in on them through the target underneath the controls. The men in the plane with him were shouting to shoot him and, when he got the group in his crosshairs, he put his fingers on the triggers and said,

"Get ready, boys." And he fired away.

As soon as he started firing, the other planes joined in and, in a matter of seconds, the entire group of men were laying on the ground. Everyone in his plane erupted into applause and the marines radioed them and the congratulations poured in.

The marines informed them that they would take care of everything. They would head back to the city and inform the police that they had found and killed the man that had tried to take over Tehran. So Ben and his fellow pilots began their flight back to the base. It took them a couple of hours to get back to the base and, when they reached it, they landed the planes in the hangar. When everyone got out, they immediately started patting each other on the back and congratulating each other. The two lieutenants that spoke at the two meetings came up to them and congratulated them, especially Ben and the other three pilots.

A couple of hours later, the marines contacted them and informed them that they had told the police of Fallujah that they had killed the man they were looking for. They had led the police to the bunker where the police took over and took care of the bodies. The marines left Fallujah and went back to their base. They thanked the air force men for helping and working with them to complete this mission and they were looking forward to working with them in the future.

After hearing the message from the marines, Ben and Matt headed back to their room; they were in the same room on this base as we. When they got to their room, they started to pack their things. They would be leaving for their base in Afghanistan in the morning.

A couple of hours later, when Matt had fallen asleep, Ben suck down to the computer. Since it was his last night on this base, it meant it was his last chance to have a video chat with Allison.

As soon as he saw her, he got the biggest smile on his face. He missed her more than he thought humanly possible. She would continuously pop in his head randomly and he dreamed of what it would be like when he finally took her in his arms again. That reality was now only two months away. He was so excited and they talked endlessly on their video chat for almost two and a half hours. He repeated what he did the first time they had the video chat and put his hand up to the webcam. She smiled and raised her hand and put it to his. They stared at each other for a while and he wished, more than anything, that he could jump through the computer screen and hold her in his arms. He smiled,

"I love you so much, Allison." She smiled,

"I love you, too, Ben."

* * *

><p>The next two months were quiet. They stayed on base and, though they heard rumors going around that someone down in Iraq was planning to 'get revenge' on them for killing the man they killed, nothing had happened so far. So, for two months, everything was quiet. Everyone fell into an easy routine, and Ben's was, in fact, an easy one. He woke up at 8:30 every morning and jogged around the base for an hour. He had also begun flying lately.<p>

They had some new recruits join and Ben was chose to be a 'big buddy' for one of the new recruits. He was assigned to show him around the base; where the barracks, the mess hall, the hangar and other places were. For the first couple of days, Ben basically told him everything he needed to know about being in the Air Force. There were different branches of the Air Force, of course, but they were based on basically the same principles; you needed to know how to fly a plane and the basic controls of a plane. You also needed to know how to be there when your fellow air force man needed you.

"When you're up there in the air, anything can go wrong. You need to know how to be there if anyone needs you, including yourself. If something happens to you or your plane, you need to know how to be calm and handle the situation as best you can." He was telling Tyler, the recruit, as they were walking through the hangar.

"Yes sir, Mr. Carter."

"Do you want to do me a favor, Tyler?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Carter." They stopped walking and Ben put his arm around his shoulder,

"Please stop calling me Mr. Carter. Call me Ben." He smiled,

"Okay." Ben smiled as well and patted his shoulder,

"Now you ready to fly one of these planes?"

He took Tyler out flying in one of the planes he would be using his branch. He was in the A.F.F.- Aerial Fire Fighting- branch. He would be responsible for fighting wild fires when they were considered 'out of control.'

While Ben flew the plane, Tyler was in the cockpit, admiring the scenery. It was the first time he had ever been in a plane and Ben let him take it all in before he started showing him the controls. They flew for almost an hour and a half. When it began to get dark, they decided to call it quits. As they landed, he showed Tyler the landing gear and showed him how to line the nose of the plane up with the runway and how to time the landing perfectly.

They landed the plane and he taxied it into the hangar. Before getting out, he showed him some more controls and then, finally, they went back to their barracks. It was 8:30. They talked well into the night and into the morning hours. As well as wanting to know about his time in the Air Force, Tyler also asked about his personal life. Ben told him that he was an only child and had come from generations of airforcemen. He told him about his mom and Jeff both dying near the same exact time and, to this, he was speechless.

"Wow, I can't believe that. That must have been so hard for you."

"Yeah, it was pretty tough. Me and my dad both took it hard, he became secluded for a while, but I think he's getting better." He nodded and then asked,

"So, are you married?"

"Nope, not married; but I have a girlfriend."

"What's her name?" He smiled and got off of the bed and took the picture of him and her at the aquarium off of his drawer and handed it to him,

"Her name's Allison." Tyler took it and looked at it, before smiling,

"She's pretty. How long have you been with her?"

"Eighteen months."

"How long has it been since you've seen her?" He smiled, knowing when he answered, he would have to tell him the whole story,

"Seventeen months." Tyler looked away from the picture and up at him, a confused look on his face. He took a deep breath and sat back down on the bed, preparing to tell him the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He told him how he had met Allison when Jeff had invited him to have lunch with them. He told him about Jeff's accident, coming back for a couple of days, and then going back for both his mom and Jeff's funerals. He recalled how he saw Allison coming towards him in the cemetery and how he fell in love with her in the short time they had together. When he was done telling the story, Tyler had a smile on his face and Ben couldn't help but smile, too.

"Wow, that's amazing." Ben laughed,

"Yeah, I know."

"You still talk to her, don't you?" He nodded and got up again and reached under his bed. He pulled out a cardboard box and opened it up. He pulled out all of his letters from Allison and handed them to him. His eyes were wide as he took them and asked,

"How many are there?"

"103."

"103?" Ben smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I haven't seen her in seventeen months."

"That's crazy. What have you been here so long? My officer told me I only had nine months."

"That's how long you're supposed to be here; I only came back for a couple of days before I went on another leave."

"Man, that is a long time. How do you do it?" He smiled and shook his head,

"I don't know. I love her with all of my heart and I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. We're doing the best we can to keep in touch; we write letters of course and we talk on the phone occasionally. Before you came we were stationed on another base that had computers and I bought a webcam and we had a couple of video chats. We don't have much time left to go; I go home August 5th."

"That's only a couple of weeks away."

"Two weeks and a day."

"I know you're excited." Ben smiled,

"You have no idea. I didn't know it was possible to miss another person as much as I miss Allison. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and I love her more than she'll ever know. I'm counting down the days and hours until I see her again. Luckily, my plane leaves early that morning so I'll get there in the afternoon. She has class when I get home so she can't pick me up from the airport, but I'm going to surprise her at the college when her class ends."

"Well I hope everything works out for you both."

"Thank you." Tyler nodded and looked at his watch,

"Wow, it's 3:15 already? I better get going. I need some sleep; you're taking me flying again tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah if you want to; maybe I'll even let you fly it yourself." Tyler grinned,

"Really?"

"Sure." He smiled again,

"Awesome."

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><p>Ben spent the next two weeks helping Tyler get used to the base and helping him with his flying. Like he promised, he took him out flying the day after they had the talk in his room. Tyler was a little nervous at first, but he quickly learned how to maneuver and control the plane. Ben helped him and gave him advice and, after flying for almost two hours, they landed and spent the rest of the day in Ben's room.<p>

They talked for a couple of hours and he told Tyler ore about Allison and Tyler also told him about his girlfriend. They had met in high school, sophomore year, and had been together ever since. He was nineteen and she was seventeen. He missed her a lot and tried to talk to her as much as he could.

"Maybe I should start writing letters to her." Ben smiled and nodded,

"You should; there's nothing better than getting a letter and reading it, knowing the girl you love sat and wrote it just for you."

He received two more letters from Allison and she was 'excited as she had ever been.' The last letter he got from her before he came back was one of the best letters he had gotten in eighteen months.

_Dear Ben,_

_ We've made it! There's only two more days until I see you again. I've waited for this moment for eighteen months. This will probably be the last letter I write until you get back. I'm sad that I won't be able to pick you up from the airport and I doubt that I'm going to be able to concentrate in class the next couple of days. My parents and friends have told me how much better my mood has been and I know it's because I'll be seeing you in forty-eight hours. I still can't believe it and I'll be the happiest girl in the world when I see you coming towards me. I'll probably start crying but you know they won't be tears of sadness; they'll be tears of joy, eighteen months in the making. I love you so much Ben and I can't wait until these final two days are up so I can see you again and fell the warmth of your arms around me. I love you with all of my heart._

_ Love, Allison_

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><p>He woke up at 5:30 on his last day in Afghanistan. His plane was scheduled to leave at 7:30 and his taxi was coming to pick him up at 6:30. When he woke up, he took a quick thirty minute job around the base and then took a quick shower. He went to his room where Matt was laying on his bed. When Ben came in, he sat up with the biggest smile on his face and Ben couldn't help but smile and ask,<p>

"What are you smiling at?"

"You're going to see your girl today, right?"

"Yeah." Matt laughed and put his arm around his shoulder,

"You have to be sure to tell me the details when you get back, okay?" Ben smiled,

"Okay."

As Matt sat back down on his bed, Ben got his duffel bag out and started packing his stuff.

"So have you heard the news?" Ben turned around,

"What news?"

"I heard that they're going to select random guys to stay in for another four years." He raised his eyebrow,

"What?"

"Yeah, they're saying that they're not getting enough people joining and they need more recruits than they're getting."

"What? That's crazy; they just got new recruits two months ago." Matt shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know that's just what I've been hearing. I don't know if it's true or not. But wouldn't that be crazy if they did it? It would be like a draft. They wouldn't call it that, of course, but that's what it would be."

"I don't know, but that's crazy. How could they not be getting enough recruits?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know, but let's change the subject. So you're going to see your girl today." Ben smiled as he finished packing his stuff,

"Yep."

"When's the taxi coming to pick you up?"

"6:30."

"It's almost time, then." Ben smiled as they both stood up. Matt stuck out his hand,

"It's been a pleasure being your roommate, Mr. Carter. Have fun without me; say hello to your girlfriend, too, for me." Ben laughed and nodded,

"Okay, I will." He gave him a quick hug before Ben picked up his bag and headed outside where taxi would be picking him up. When he got outside, Tyler was waiting for him. He smiled as Ben approached him and Ben smiled and sat his bag down.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know, I had to come see you off, right?" Ben smiled again and nodded and Tyler added,

"Well, I hope you have fun and enjoy your time off."

"Thank you, you try to have fun here without me, as well. Write a couple of letters to me and let me know how you're doing." Tyler nodded as the taxi pulled up. Ben ruffled Tyler's hair with his hand,

"All right, well I have to go; be good here without me, okay?" He smiled,

"Okay." Ben gave him a hug and ruffled his hair one more time before grabbing his bag and putting it in the trunk of the taxi.

"Bye, Tyler."

"Bye, Ben. Tell your girlfriend I said hello."

"Okay, I will."

Ben smiled as he got in the taxi and, as they drove to the airport, he couldn't be more excited.

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><p><strong>:D Hope you guys liked! So the next chapter will be Ben and Allison's reunion! So exciting! Please stay tuned! Oh and review! :)<strong>


	27. Chapter 26

****Hey! So here's the next chapter! It's kind of long, but I think it's pretty good and interesting. Enjoy!****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 26**

His plane ride back to Wilmington was eight hours long. His plane left on time at 7:30 and the flight went by smoothly. They ended up showing three movies; Fantastic Four, Steel Magnolias, which, coincidentally, was Allison's favorite movie, and the new Harry Potter movie; The Goblet of Fire. He watched Harry Potter and Steel Magnolias but, by the time Fantastic Four came on, he had a headache. He cut his screen off and sat his seat back and fell asleep.

By the time he woke up, the plane was descending. One of the flight attendants walked by and he asked how far away they were from Wilmington. She smiled,

"About five minutes."

"Five minutes?"

"Yes, sir." He smiled,

"Okay, thank you." She nodded and walked back down the aisle. He smiled again, not believing he was almost home after eighteen months of being away.

When they landed, he got his carry-on bag out of the cubby and followed everyone off of the plane. He was excited to say the least; His father, along with Allison's parents, would be waiting for him in the lobby. As he walked off of the plane and down the hallway to the main part of the airport, he was growing more and more excited. He went and found his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He walked through the terminal, into the lobby, and quickly scanned the crowd.

He didn't see them at first but, after a second look, he saw them off to the side. As soon as he saw them, they spotted him and he saw them all smile and start waving. He couldn't help but smile as he walked over to them. When he got close to them, he put his bag down and her mom opened her arms. He smiled and hugged her as she said,

"Oh my goodness; it's so good to see you!"

"You, too, Mrs. Johnson." He couldn't help but grin and pull back and look at both her father and his father. He turned to her father,

"How are you doing, sir? Allison told me about you going to the hospital a few months ago. Is everything okay?" Her father smiled,

"Yes, I'm fine, Ben, how are you doing?"

"I'm good." Her father smiled again and gave him a quick hug before Ben turned to his own father. They both smiled and he gave him a hug,

"Hey, dad."

"Hey, Ben, how are you?"

"I'm good, I missed you." His dad smiled as he pulled back,

"I missed you, too. I'm glad you're back; the house was so quiet without you." Ben laughed, happier than ever that he was finally home.

They stood talking for a few minutes before they made their way out to the parking lot. They had both parked beside each other and, when they reached the cars, they all turned to each other. He gave both her mom and dad a hug and her mom said,

"Well, I guess we'll see you in a couple of hours, then. We'll bring Allison to your house after her class ends." He put his bag in the car and turned to them,

"Well, I was going to ask you, what time does her class end?"

"4:30, why?"

"Do you think I could pick her up? I was thinking maybe I could surprise her." Her mom smiled,

"Of course you can, that's a great idea."

"Okay, thank you. Can you tell me where her class is?"

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><p>After getting the directions to Allison's class, he gave her mom and dad another hug and told them that, after he picked Allison up, they would come back to their house.<p>

It took them about fifteen minutes to get back to their house and, when they pulled in the driveway, he smiled. The house hadn't changed a bit in eighteen months and he didn't realize how much he missed it. It was 4:00 when he got home and he only had a few minutes before he had to leave. Allison's class ended at 4:30 and he planned to leave at 4:10 to get there in time. He couldn't explain the excitement he was feeling. He had been away from Allison for so long and he couldn't wait until he finally saw her and held her in his arms again.

He and his father talked non-stop. Ben told him all about going on the two missions he went on and about teaching Tyler about being in the Air Force and how to fly the plane he was going to be flying. His father listened attentively and it immediately made him think of Allison. His father also told him basically what he said in his letters. His dad had not stopped smiling since he picked him up from the airport and Ben knew his father was glad that he was home.

When they walked inside, he went to his room and started unpacking his things. By the time he was done, it was almost time for him to leave. He decided to leave his uniform on; he wanted to stick out as much as he could, especially because everyone would be leaving their classes at the same time. He grabbed his keys and walked into the living room where his father was.

"Hey, dad, I'm going to head on, okay?"

"Okay."

"I probably won't be back until later."

"Okay. I know where you'll be." Ben smiled and suddenly felt bad; he had just come home after being away for eighteen months and he was already going out. He found himself shuffling his feet,

"Well after I pick up Allison we're going to have dinner with her family; why don't you come?"

"No, no, no, you two go ahead. I wouldn't want you to have to come back here and pick me up."

"Don't worry about it; I have to come home and change clothes anyway. I'm sure her parents would love it if you came." He thought about it for a minute before finally nodding,

"Okay, I'll come."

"Good, well, I better get going; her class ends at 4:30."

"All right, good luck. I know you're excited." He smiled,

"You have no idea."

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><p>It took about ten minutes to get to UNCW. He parked in the main parking lot and followed her mom's instructions on how to get to her class. He finally found the building after five minutes of searching. He sat down on a bench near the entrance and looked down at his watch, seeing that he had about five minutes until her class ended.<p>

He looked around at the campus and it was nice, really nice, actually. There were flowers planted everywhere and there wasn't a speck of trash anywhere. The grass was a beautiful green and the sidewalks were lined with flowers. It was a really nice campus and could see why students from all over came to go here.

As the minutes ticked by, he became more and more nervous and more and more excited. Like Allison had said in her letter, he had been waiting for this moment for eighteen months. The bell finally rang and he took a deep breath and stood up as students poured out of the building. His excitement level was through the roof and he could hardly stand still as he scanned the crowd for her. It took him a couple of seconds, but he finally spotted her. He felt his heart skip a beat and all he could do was stare at her.

She didn't see him right away and he stood where he was as she drew closer. He watched her walk down the steps and, when she drew closer, she finally spotted him. She glanced his way and, when she saw him, she froze. She looked at him for a second, obviously in shock and he smiled. When he smiled, it must have broken her free of the shock she was in because, at that moment, a huge smile came across her face.

"Ben?"

He smiled again and started to run towards her. She put her hands over her mouth and began to run towards him, as well. When she was close enough, he scooped her into his arms and she threw her arms around his neck. He lifted her up off of the ground and could hear her crying. He smiled and held her tighter, getting tears in his own eyes. He held her for a minute, both of them silent, letting the feeling soak in that they were finally together again, after a year and a half apart.

She finally pulled away and he could see tears streaming down her face. He smiled again, fighting the tears in his own eyes and she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. He smiled and she grinned as he brought both of his hands to her cheeks and wiped away her tears. He put his forehead to hers and closed his eyes and whispered,

"I'm back, right where I belong; right here with you" She smiled again as more tears fell down her cheeks. She finally gathered up the strength and said,

"I missed you so much."

He smiled again and leaned in and kissed her. And, at that moment, he knew no one on the face of the Earth could be happier than him.

They stood together for what seemed like years before he pulled away and looked at her,

"So, how was your class?" She smiled and laughed before throwing her arms around his neck again. He held her and put his forehead to hers,

"You have no idea how much I missed you." She smiled and closed her eyes,

"I can't believe you're here. I've imagined this moment for eighteen months and now I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." She smiled,

"I love you so much, Ben." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her again, knowing he loved her more than he would ever love anybody in his entire life.

After holding her for almost ten minutes, he finally let her go and they both smiled at each other. He bent down and picked up her book bag, throwing it over his shoulder as he reached for her hand. She held his hand with both of hers as they walked back to his truck.

"I just can't believe you're here."

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You definitely did. It was the best surprise I've ever gotten."

He smiled and kissed her hand as they approached his truck. He let her and go and jogged up to the truck and opened her door. She smiled and reached up and kissed him. He kissed her back and brought his hand up to her cheek and kissed her again. He reached out with his other hand, still kissing her, and slammed the door shut as she leaned up against the side of his truck. He brought both of his hands to her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his waist. They kissed for a couple of minutes before she pulled away and smiled,

"I love you, Ben." He smiled and stroked her cheek, gently,

"I love you, too, Allison."

* * *

><p>On their way back to his house, they talked endlessly. He held her hand as they drove and he told her what he had told his father; both of his mission and helping Tyler adjust to the base. She listened attentively, like she always did, and told him things that had happened; the things she didn't include in her letters.<p>

The church had scheduled her tossing even more and she sang every other Sunday; she was actually singing this Sunday.

"Do you want to come watch me?" He looked over at her and kissed her hand that he was holding.

"Of course."

Since it was a Friday, she was supposed to have practice, but she had let them know that Ben was coming home and they gave her the night off. She had been perfect in the previous practices and they knew giving her the night off wouldn't affect them on Sunday.

She also told him that, yesterday, she had started interning at the hospital as an assistant to the pediatrician she had had the meeting with. She was nervous at first but quickly adapted and learned what to do in the first hour. She said the staff and nurses were welcoming and made her feel right at home.

It took about ten minutes to get back to his house. When they pulled in the driveway, he got out and quickly raced around the truck and opened her door for her. She got out and started to walk towards the front door. He smiled,

"What? No thank you this time?" She turned around and asked, calmly,

"What?"

"I just opened the door for you."

"And?"

"I don't know, usually when people open doors for you, you usually say thank you." She looked at him for a minute before smiling and walking over to him as she slipped her arms around his neck. He smiled and out his arms around her waist as she smiled again,

"Thank you."

"For what?" She laughed and punched his arm, playfully,

"You know for what."

He smiled and leaned in and kissed her softly. He stroked her cheek gently and whispered,

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>They kissed again before heading inside to pick up his father. Ben went and changed clothes and they headed to her parents' house. It took them about twenty minutes to get there and, despite the fact that it had been eighteen months since he had been to her house, he knew exactly where to go and got there without a problem.<p>

When they walked inside, the dinner was already sprawled out before them; macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, rice and gravy, yeast rolls and pork chops. Ben turned towards her mom,

"Wow, this looks amazing."

"Well, thank you. Don't be bashful; let's dig in."

They made their plates and Ben sat in between Allison and his father. They ate and laughed for hours, talking about random things and about both Ben and Allison's childhood. Even though they both winced at parts, they laughed for hours. He and Allison held hands underneath the table and, more than once, did they look at each other and smile.

They talked long after the finished eating and it was 7:00 before they all stood up. He knew it was nearing time for him and his father to leave, but he wasn't quite ready to say good-bye to Allison just yet. Her parents started talking to his dad and he leaned over and whispered in Allison's ear,

"Will you come with me?" She looked at him and smiled,

"Anywhere." He smiled and gave her a quick kiss before their parents slowly stopped talking. Ben stretched his arms before saying,

"Well, it's getting kind of late; do you want to head on, dad?"

"Yeah, if you're ready." He turned to her parents,

"Thank you for the dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson; it was wonderful."

"No problem, honey, anytime; we're so happy you're back home." He smiled and turned to her father and gave him a quick hug,

"Thank you again, Mr. Johnson."

"You're welcome; like Rachel said, anytime."

He smiled again and his father stepped in and thanked both of her parents, also. They hugged each other and Ben turned to Allison and she smiled as he reached for her hand. When they were done saying their goodbyes, they walked outside and her parents stood on the porch and waved good-bye to them as they backed out of the driveway.

It was 7:30 when they got back to his house. They went inside and his father hung up his jacket,

"That was fun; I'm glad I went."

"It was fun; we'll have to do it again." He looked at Allison and he smiled and looked at her while he said,

"Well, me and Allison are going to head on okay, dad? I've got to take her back to her dorm."

"All right, be careful."

"We will."

They said a quick goodbye to his father and walked outside to his truck. While they were walking, she turned to him,

"You're not really taking me back to my dorm yet, are you?" He smiled and shook his head,

"No, not just yet."

* * *

><p>They ended up spending the entire night on the beach While she was saying good-bye to his father back at his house, he had quickly grabbed a blanket. They spent the whole night laughing and cuddling, wrapped in each other's arms. As she laid beside him in the sand, he couldn't help but stare at her. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and she smiled and snuggled up to him and said,<p>

"Tonight was fun."

"Yeah, it was. But I think I'm enjoying this a little bit more." She smiled and pulled back to look at him,

"I am, too." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her softly. She snuggled back up to him again and he held her close, thinking that he could imagine himself doing this very thing every night for the rest of his life.

They fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. He awoke before the sun rose and he lay there, watching Allison sleep peacefully in his arms. He stared at her for almost thirty minutes before she slowly opened her eyes. He smiled and kissed her forehead,

"Good morning." She smiled,

"Good morning."

They laid in each other's arms for another hour before the sun started to peak over the horizon. They sat up and he wrapped the blanket around both of their shoulders and she scooted closer to him. He held her as they watched the sun rise up out of the ocean.

After the sun had risen, they decided to pack up. He drove her back to her dorm and kissed her good-bye, promising to be back in a couple of hours.

He drove back to his house and got about an hours' worth of sleep before waking back up. He took a shower and then put on his bathing suit and a white t-shirt. He slipped his sandals back on and grabbed his sunglasses before going to the living room. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a quick note to his father, telling him that he would be gone for most of the day.

He picked Allison back up at her dorm and they headed to the beach. On the way, they stopped at an IHOP and split a platter of pancakes before driving to the recreation center. They spent the rest of the day lazing in the sun, well, at least Allison did. After about ten minutes of lying beside her in the sand, he had to get up.

"I'm going in the water, do you want to come?"

"Not right now, I'm working on my tan." He smiled and leaned over and kissed her before getting up and heading down to the water.

He spent the next couple of hours bodysurfing and letting the waves roll over him. He kept an eye on Allison, making sure he didn't let the current take him too far down the beach. After bodysurfing for almost two and a half hours, he got out of the water and walked back up to where Allison was still tanning. She had on her sunglasses and he guessed that she had her eyes closed because she didn't move when he walked up. He quietly bent down beside her and shook the water from his hair, drenching her. This got her attention and she quickly sat up and snatched off her sunglasses,

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, what are you doing?" She sighed,

"I was trying to get a tan."

"Did I interrupt?"

"Yeah, kind of. It's hard to tan when you're soaking wet." He smiled and shook his head,

"You know that's not true, right? You tan more when you're in the water."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." She put her sunglasses back on and looked at him over the top of them,

"Then how is it that I'm tanner than you?" They both smiled and he leaned in and kissed her. He loved the fact that he had two weeks home and he loved, even more, that she was here to experience it with him.

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><p><strong>:D How adorable. Hope you guys liked it! And, just to clarify, right now the story is set in 2005 and so the movies I chose at the beginning were the movies that were out in 2005. Like Goblet of Fire isn't the new harry potter movie, of course, it's The Deathly Hallows. But I couldn't say the Deathly Hallows because the story's set in 2005. Kind of confusing, I know. Well, hope you guys liked it! Please review! :)<strong>


	28. Chapter 27

**Whaa? An update? Finally! I'm so sorry for the huge delay. I hit a big writer's block and I had to edit a whole bunch of stuff. To make up for it, this chapter's extra long! So enjoy!**

**And a special thanks to mnpblackburn for favoriting the story! Welcome! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

They spent every available moment together. He took her to her practices at the church and, when she didn't have class, he would go pick her up and they would spend the day together. On Saturday night, the last practice before their service at 9:00 on Sunday, they were walking back to his truck when she reached for his hand,

"Thank you for coming with me."

"No problem, it was nice hearing you sing. I haven't heard it in eighteen months."

She smiled and nodded but, as he looked at her, he could tell there was something on her mind. When they got back to her dorm, he cut off his truck and looked at her. She was looking out of the window and he knew something was wrong. Her hand was in the seat and he reached for it,

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded, not fully convinced, but not wanting to press her,

"Okay, just making sure." She nodded and they were silent for a minute before she turned back to him,

"You won't be gone for another eighteen months this time, will you?" Her expression was sad as he shook his head,

"No, I won't be gone for that long ever again; it'll only be half that time from now on."

"Good, because, honestly, it almost killed me." He looked at her and she continued,

"I know I sounded all happy and wonderful in my letters, but I was actually a wreck. I cried for four hours straight after you left and my parents had to basically carry me out of the airport. I cried every night for three months straight after that. I thought about you all of the time and wished that you were here with me. I knew that what you were doing was important and I was, and am, so proud of you but, still, I wished every day for eighteen months that you were here with me…I don't know, maybe it's selfish."

"It's not selfish; I'm an attractive person, I understand completely." She smiled and slapped his arm, playfully,

"Can you not do that? I'm being serious." He smiled,

"I'm sorry, but listen; you don't have to worry anymore. These are the last nine months and then I'm out. I'll be done and I'm going to be back for good, right here with you."

"Do you promise?" He smiled and leaned over the seat and kissed her. He pulled back and put his forehead to hers and stroked her cheek,

"I promise." She smiled and kissed him again. She brought her hand up to his face and he scooted closer to her. They kissed for a couple of minutes before she told him goodnight.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he and his father went to church. They sat in the third row, right in the middle of the sanctuary where his father sat every Sunday. At 9:00, the lights dimmed and the music got underway. The male singer, Alex, walked up to his microphone and asked everyone to stand up and sing along with them. Everyone followed his instruction and stood up. Ben saw Allison walk up to the other microphone and smiled; it was the first time he had seen her on the stage with all of the lights and everything from the perspective of someone in the congregation.<p>

Alex sung both of his songs well and, though Ben didn't know them, the words were on the screen and he tried his best to sing along. When Alex was done singing, he said that everyone sounded good and to say hello to someone sitting near you. He turned around and said hi to someone behind him and, when he turned back around, he saw Allison staring at him from up on the stage. She waved and he smiled and waved back to her. Then the drums started and they got back underway.

He watched her as she sang and, again, he couldn't help but smile, thinking how natural and calm she looked. She would glance at him and smile occasionally but, for the most part, she had her eyes closed. She sang her songs perfectly and, when she was done, led the congregation in prayer. When she was done praying, she smiled and thanked everyone for singing and told them they could all have a seat. As they walked backstage, she turned around and smiled at him. She smiled back at her as the lights dimmed and they showed a video.

The preacher preached for about forty minutes. It was good, as usual and Ben felt he really connected with the congregation. The message spoke to Ben more than it usually did. He preached on worry and how worry always makes sense to the worrier, even when it didn't to other people; if it didn't, they wouldn't be worried about it in the first place.

It spoke to Ben because, lately, he had been worrying and knew, as these two weeks drew to a close, that he would begin to worry. The preacher said to bring all of your worried and fears to God and he would take care of the. He said to have faith and trust in the lord and that's exactly what Ben planned to do.

When he was done preaching, he asked the congregation to pray with him. After he was done praying, he thanked everyone for coming and he walked off of the stage. .As everyone began to file out, Ben and his father stood up and started to follow. Ben looked up at the exit and saw Allison slip out. He smiled and finally reached the exit and walked into the lobby, looking for her. He didn't see her and then he happened to look out of one of the windows and saw her standing outside.

"Hey dad, I'll meet you at the car."

"Okay, take your time." He face his dad the keys and headed through the door. As he got closer, she looked over at him and smiled. He went over to her and hugged her and gave her a kiss,

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"So, how did I do?"

"You were wonderful; you were definitely strutting your stuff." She smiled and laughed,

"'Strutting my stuff?' That's an interesting choice of words there."

"Thank you. But, really, you were amazing." She smiled again and reached up and kissed him,

"Thank you. Well, I better be heading back in there, I just wanted to come out here and see you."

"I'm glad you did. Do you want me to stay for the second service, too?"

"No, you go ahead home with your dad. I'll come over later when I'm done if that's okay." He smiled and nodded and leaned in and kissed her,

"That's perfect." She smiled and kissed him again before telling him bye and going back in the church.

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><p>Him and his father stopped by the Harris Teeter and picked up a couple of packs of steaks. They got home at 11 and his father instantly got cooking. While Ben was outside grilling the steaks, his father was inside baking the potatoes and microwaving some corn on the cob. While he was standing on the deck grilling the steaks, he heard a car pull into the driveway. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was 11:30.<p>

The music at the church usually lasted for about twenty-five minutes and it took about fifteen minutes to get to his house from the church. He doubted it was Allison's car he heard pull in the driveway, so he put down the tongs and went inside to see Matt standing in the kitchen with his father. When Ben came inside, Matt turned to him and smiled,

"Hey, Ben, how's it going?" Ben smiled and went over and shook his hand, then gave him a quick hug.

"Hey, Matt, I'm good, how about you?"

"I'm good. You're probably wondering what I'm doing here, right?"

"Yeah, just a little bit."

"Do you think we could talk in private?" Ben suddenly got nervous and he turned to his dad,

"Hey dad, can you handle the steaks for me? They're almost done."

"Sure."

"Thank you," He turned back to Matt,

"Here, let's go in the living room."

They walked in the living room and Matt sat down on the couch and Ben in the chair across from him. Matt brought his hands together.

"I was transferred down here to Seymour Johnson." Ben nodded, thinking that this wasn't really something to talk in private about.

"Well that's good, isn't it? You're back in the states, closer to your wife and kids." When Ben said 'wife and kids' he saw Matt flinch and Ben knew bad news was about to follow. Matt didn't say anything at first, but finally shook his head,

"My wife filed for divorce." Ben raised his eyebrow,

"What?"

"She told me she couldn't do it anymore; that while I'm away, she's dying slowly inside. I guess I never realized how hard it was for her, she's had to basically be a single parent and raise the kids by herself. I see them two weeks every nine months. You know that's basically two weeks of the year; fourteen out of 365 days. Anyway, I tried calling her to try and convince her to change her mind but she wouldn't." Matt shook his head,

"The part that gets me is that their life isn't going to change much at all. I'm gone for nearly the whole year so their life is going to go on basically how it's been going on. I'll get to see them when I go on my leaves, but it won't be the same. She'll probably remarry and the children will have someone who will be in their life every day. That's probably the only positive thing that'll come out of this." He took a little break, then went on,

"It's probably a good thing. They'll have a full-time father instead of a part time one." Ben got up and went and sat beside him on the couch,

"You're still their father, that's never going to change. Even if she does remarry, that guy is never going to be able to replace you as their father."

"Yeah, you're right." Ben nodded and they were quiet for a minute before Ben remembered something,

"Wait, aren't you getting out in a couple of months? Your time's almost up." Matt shook his head,

"I'm in for another four years."

"What? You re-upped again? Last time I talked to you, you couldn't wait to get out-" Matt shook his head, interrupting him,

"I didn't re-up."

"Then how are you in for another four years?"

"Do you remember before you left, I told you that I had heard that they were going to select random guys to say in for another four years?" Ben nodded, already knowing what Matt was going to say.

"Well, it's true. They announced it the day after you left. They're releasing four lists over a period of who knows how long. They released it that day and I was on it." He shook his head,

"I'm sorry Matt."

"It's okay. But that one decision the Air Force made cost a man his marriage." Matt looked at him,

"I know what you want to ask; don't worry, you're not on the list. But watch out because they still have three lists left." Ben nodded again, praying silently that he wouldn't be on those lists. While he was thinking about it, Matt put his hands on his knees,

"Well, I better get going; I have to get back to the base." They both stood up and Matt reached in his pocket and pulled out a letter and handed it to him,

"Oh yeah, I have something for you. It's from Tyler; he caught me just as I was leaving and asked me to give it to you." He smiled,

"Thanks. Stay safe out there, okay?" Matt nodded and walked to the front door. Ben walked him to it and opened it for him. As Matt stepped out, he turned around to face him,

"It was good seeing you again, Ben. And be on the lookout for those lists."

"You, too. And I will, thank you. Again, I'm sorry for what happened with your wife." He nodded,

"It's okay. I guess it was just too hard for her; I'm actually surprised she made it this long. It's got to be hard, you know? The man or woman you love being away, fighting, for nine months at a time? And they're here by themselves? I guess I really didn't realize how hard it actually is. I know it was hard for me, but I never realized how extra hard it is here for her. But now I do and it's too late." Matt sighed,

"But I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet your girlfriend, tell her hello for me." Ben nodded,

"I will, Matt, take care."

"You do the same."

Matt nodded and walked off of the porch and to his truck. He waved before backing out and driving away. Ben closed the door and leaned up against it, trying to process everything Matt had just told him. Matt had been married for twelve years and had two kids and, just like that, it was over He continued to think about all of this until he heard his father yell that lunch was ready. He decided to try and put everything he had just been told in the back of his mind, at least for now.

He went and made his plate and sat down with his father. They ate for a few minutes before they heard a car pull into the driveway. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was about time for Allison to be coming. He excused himself from the table and went to the door and opened it, seeing it was, indeed, Allison. He smiled and walked down the porch steps and over to her. When he got closer, the smile faded from his face as he saw tears streaming down hers.

"Allison, what's wrong?" She wiped the tears from her eyes, but more quickly fell down,

"It's my dad."

* * *

><p>They went inside and walked to his room and sat down on his bed. She had tears streaming down her face and he tried to comfort her as best he could.<p>

"Allison, what happened?" She shook her head and waited a few minutes before saying,

"He has a brain tumor." She started to cry again and he put his arm around her and held her. He was surprised to say the least. He hadn't expected it and was about to say something when she wiped her cheeks and turned to him,

"Remember in my letter I said that we had taken my dad to the hospital after we had found him unconscious? He's had a lot of horrible headaches since then and a week ago my mom took him again. They didn't find anything wrong and sent him home that same day. He was fine for a couple of days and then the headaches came back, worse than before. About three days ago, my mom brought him back to the hospital. They did a couple of tests and finally took some scans of his brain…and that's when they found the tumor. They don't know how long it's been there and they made him stay and they don't know when he'll be able to come home. They're doing more tests to see how long it's been there and if it is operable or non-operable." He looked down, wishing that she had told him earlier. He shook his head,

"I'm so sorry, Allison." He tried to think of something to say that would comfort her and she tried to give a small smile, but failed. He suddenly realized that she had spent the entire last three days with him, which gave her no time to spend with her father. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"I already know what you're going to say; that I should be with my dad, but he told me to spend my time with you. He knows that you go back next week and that our time together is limited. He knows how much you mean to me and he wants me to spend these days with you. Besides, I go and visit him almost every night after you go home." He nodded, still feeling a little guilty as she gave a small smile,

"I should get going; I have to get back to the hospital. My mom and dad wanted to talk to me about something; they said it was important."

"What do they want to talk to you about?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"I don't know; I guess I'll just have to see when I get there." He nodded and they walked to the door. He turned to her and shook his head,

"I'm sorry, again, about your father." She gave a small smile and reached up and gave him a quick kiss,

"It's okay. Can I come by tomorrow?"

"Of course you can, tell your father I'm sorry, too."

"I will. I love you." He smiled,

"I love you, too." He leaned in and kissed her again before he let her go and she slipped behind the wheel of her car and drove off.

He went inside and ended up spending the rest of the night with his father. They talked about a lot of things and he ended up telling his father why Matt had come over. He told him that Matt's wife was getting a divorce and the reasons behind filing for it. He also told him that the Air Force was basically drafting men for another four years. His dad had never heard of that and he couldn't believe it. He also told him the worried he had about his relationship with Allison.

"I love her so much and I couldn't imagine going through my life without her. It's just, if they put me on that list, I'll have to go for four more years. I have to finish the rest of this term, and then I'll have to do those four years; that's almost five years. I can't expect her to wait five years for me, that isn't fair to her. I'm more than willing to go for it and I want to make it work more than anything, but will she?" His father sighed,

"I don't know, Ben, but I have a feeling she will. She loves you, anybody can see that. She loves you just as much as you love her. She would wait for you, I know it." Ben smiled and nodded and his father added,

"Besides, you don't even know if you'll be on those lists; you've made it through the first cut and, right now, you only have nine more months left and you're out." Ben nodded again,

"Thank you, it means a lot." His dad smiled and nodded and gave him a hug. Ben hugged him back, hoping and praying that he was right, but knowing that this wasn't the last time he would hear about it.

* * *

><p>He woke up the next morning at 8:30 and jogged around the neighborhood for about an hour. When he got home, he took a shower and gave Allison a call. They talked for about thirty minutes and, when they got off, he put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and reached for his keys.<p>

He picked Allison up from her dorm and, since IHOP was only a couple of minutes away, they decided to go there and eat breakfast. Since it was a Monday morning, it wasn't very busy and they walked right in and sat down. They talked about her father and how her visit last night was. She finally brought her hands together,

"So, my parents talked to me last night."

"That's right, how did that go?"

"It was kind of awkward." He looked at her,

"Really? What did they say?" She avoided his gaze and he knew that, if she had been standing, she would be shuffling her feet. He smiled,

"Come on, you can tell me."

"I know, but it's kind of embarrassing."

"Tell me, you're the one that brought it up." She nodded and finally said,

"They, kind of, gave me the sex talk." He raised his eyebrow, not expecting her to say that. He wasn't surprised they had talked to her about it. He had thought about it, of course; it had been in the back of his mind lately. He hadn't said anything to her about it; he didn't want to force it on her by any means and he would never want her to do something she didn't want to. She interrupted his thoughts,

"Well, what do you think?" He shook his head and chuckled

"I don't know, what did they say?"

"Nothing I didn't already know. They just told me they knew we love each other, but to not jump into things and to just be careful…" He nodded and couldn't stifle a laugh.

"It's not funny! Why are you laughing?" He nodded and felt bad for laughing. This was obviously a big deal for her and, although he was laughing, it was a pretty big deal for him, too.

"I'm sorry, you're right." She waited for him to add more but, when she didn't, she said,

"And?"

"And what?"

"What else do you think?"

"I don't know, I mean it makes sense that they would talk to you about it. What do you think about it?" She didn't answer right away, but finally shrugged her shoulders,

"I don't know, like you said it makes sense why they would think they need to talk to me about it. I mean, we love each other and I've thought about it for a while…" She took a small break, then added,

"I want to, I really do, but I don't think I'm ready. I love you so much and I don't know why I've been so reluctant. I know you deserve a better answer than that, but I don't know what else to say." Ben reached for her hand,

"Hey it's okay. You don't need to apologize for anything. Of course I've thought about it, but, look here," She looked at him and he continued,

"I love you so much and, though this has obviously been on both of our minds, it isn't everything. I'll still feel the exact same way about you either way and nothing can change that." She smiled and reached over the table and gave him a quick kiss,

"Thank you." He smiled and gave her another quick kiss before she sat down in her seat.

A couple of minutes later, the waitress came with their breakfast. They talked endlessly while they ate. When they were almost done, she brought her hands together again,

"So, I have a question."

"Ask away."

"You like Led Zeppelin, don't you?"

* * *

><p>"It won't be the real Led Zeppelin, of course, but they're a cover band. My family's heard them before and they said they're really good. They're performing downtown tonight, do you want to go?" He smiled,<p>

"Absolutely, that'll be awesome."

"Good, my parents are going too, but we can go down to the stage if you want to. It starts at 7:00."

* * *

><p>They finished their breakfast at about 11:00 and Ben paid the bill while Allison left the tip. They spent the rest of the day together and he dropped her off at her dorm at 5:00 so she could get ready for the concert. He came home and lazed around the house for about an hour before getting out a piece of paper and a pen.<p>

The day before when Matt had left, he had given him a letter from Tyler. He read it last night after he had gotten home. Tyler's letter was front and back and talked mostly of what had been going on around the base. He talked about the list and told him that, thankfully, they had both been spared. Unfortunately, Matt wasn't and Tyler felt bad for him.

He had also begun writing letters to his girlfriend. He said that she was happy and surprised by his letter and was excited to start writing letters to him. He had been picked randomly to go on a mission to go put out a fire in one of the towns and had used Ben's advice to help him. He closed with an anticipation of getting a letter back from Ben and hoped that he was having fun with Allison and wanted to hear the details when he got back.

As Ben sat down at the table, he began writing away. He started off by telling him that he was glad Tyler had gotten past 'The List' and that he hoped he was doing well and keeping safe. He also told him that everything was going good here and he told him all of the things that he had been doing with Allison and promised to tell her he said hello. He closed with the hope that he would keep safe and that he would be looking for his next letter.

When he was finished writing, he put it in an envelope and put a stamp on it and put it aside for a minute. He grabbed another piece of paper and wrote a quick note to his father and told him that he would be back later tonight. He then got up and got ready for the concert.

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><p><strong>:) So nothing too terribly exciting in this chapter. But you know how it is, leisure chapter, exciting chapter, leisure chapter, exciting chapter, etc. So expect the next chapter to be exciting! And, to still make it up to you guys for the huge delay, the chapter will either be up tonight or tomorrow! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! I've missed ya'll's reviews.<strong>


	29. Chapter 28

**Hey! I'm sorry this wasn't up when I said it was going to be...I got kinda distracted. Not a good reason, I know, but my boyfriend came over yesterday and we hung out. But, to make up for it, this chapter's extra long! And really exciting! If I do say so myself. Well, enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 28<strong>

He went and picked up Allison and they went downtown and met her parents there. The concert was on the river front; they had a stage set up and the opening band was still playing. Across from the stage were a set of steps that led up to the courthouse. There were people sitting on the stairs and Ben followed Allison and her parents and sat down along with the rest of the people. Ben sat down on the end, with Allison beside him. Her mom sat on the other side of her and her father was on the other end.

They still had forty-five minutes to wait and people continued to show up. There was a huge space between the stage and the steps and people stood down there and it quickly filled up. While they were waiting, her parents got to talking with some of the people that had sat down beside them. Ben and Allison talked to each other for almost twenty-five minutes until she asked,

"Do you see any bathrooms anywhere?"

"Yeah, there's some rent-a- johns down there; we passed them when we were walking up."

"Okay, I'll be right back then." He smiled,

"Okay." She smiled too and gave him a kiss before standing up and making her way to the bathroom. He watched her until he couldn't see her anymore. Her mom turned to him,

"Where was Allison going?"

"She went to the bathroom." Her mom nodded and introduced Ben to the people they were talking to.

He talked to them for a few minutes about different things until he looked down at his watch; fifteen minutes had passed since he saw Allison go to the bathroom. He figured there must be a line but, when a couple of more minutes passed, he looked down the street and scanned the crown and saw something that made his heart stop.

He immediately stood up and quickly pushed through the crowd of people, trying to get to that spot. As he got closer, he saw Allison and the scared look on her face. He saw the man smiling and trying to get close to her, but he saw her keep backing up. He eventually got up to where they were and he saw Allison look his way and saw a look of relief pass over her face,

"Ben!"

While she was looking at Ben, the man scooted up beside her and put his hand on her side. She jumped and looked back at the man and stepped back some more until she backed up against the courthouse wall. When Ben finally reached her, he stepped in between her and the guy. Up close, the guy looked younger; about their age.

"You better back up right now." The guy laughed,

"And just who are you?"

"I'm someone you don't want to mess with, so I'll tell you again, you better back up." He laughed again and took a step back. Ben turned around towards Allison and put his hands on her cheeks,

"Are you okay?" She nodded and he could see tears start to form in her eyes and could see her shaking. His nostrils were flaring as he heard the guy behind him say,

"So, is this your new boyfriend, Allison?"

"You know him?" She nodded as a tear fell down her cheek. He turned back around to face the guy when he heard someone call out,

"Hey, Seth, what's taking you so long?" His stomach dropped as he put the pieces together. His nostrils were flaring as he turned around to face Seth. He heard Allison say his name but he ignored her. Seth looked at him,

"What are you looking at?" Ben didn't say anything, hoping that he would have the power to restrain himself. Seth continued,

"What? Did Allison tell you about me? It doesn't surprise me; I was the best thing that happened to her. Too bad she's a whore and a slut." He gritted his teeth, his anger rising, and said,

"Don't ever talk about her like that." Seth laughed again and Ben was reaching his boiling point.

"What? You actually fell for the whore? That's too bad because I'm bringing her back to my place tonight," He moved closer to Ben's face and stopped right in front of it,

"And there's not a damn thing you can do about it." Ben's nostrils flared again and he couldn't restrain himself anymore and he lunged at Seth.

He wrapped his arms around Seth's waist and locked them. He tackled him and it sent them both flying over the counter at the beer tent. Bottles fell and crashed beside them as Ben balled his fist and connected it with Seth's nose. Seth was still in shock, but quickly regrouped.

When Ben went to punch again, Seth grabbed a bottle and swung it at Ben's face. It hit near his eye and he heard Allison scream and yell his name. He heard people yelling and cheering but none of that mattered as he slammed his fist into Seth's face, this time connecting with his cheek. Ben punched him again and Seth tried to get a punch in, but Ben quickly dodged it.

Somehow, Seth managed to sit up and he tackled Ben, landing on top of him. Ben quickly and swiftly gout out from under him and tackled him, going back over the counter and onto the floor, right in the middle of the crowd. He heard Allison yelling at him to please stop and that it wasn't worth it, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. When he tackled Seth over the counter, he landed on top of him and slammed his forehead down onto Seth's nose and he heard it crack. Seth managed to throw another punch and it connected with Ben's cheek.

He went to throw another punch but felt himself being dragged up. Someone pulled him by his collar and he turned around to see two huge security guards. Two more came and dragged Seth off across the road. The security guards continued to hold him as he tried to calm his anger. When he finally calmed down, the security guards let him go.

He turned around and everyone was staring at him, including Allison and, now, her parents. He looked away and down at his knuckles and saw that they were bleeding. He felt blood run down his nose and his forehead. He tried to wipe it and already felt a scar above his eye.

As he tried to wipe the blood from his nose, he saw a police officer approaching him. He told him that this was supposed to be a family concert,

"I'm sorry, sir."

"I'm sure you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Wait, you're kicking me out?"

"Yes, you just fought at a family concert, get out. Security?" Before Ben had a chance to respond, he was being dragged down the street by the same security guards. He heard Allison yell his name and turned his head just in time to see her pushing through the crowd towards him.

They brought him to the barricades and moved them and threw him down. They turned and walked back down the street and, a couple of seconds later, Allison bent underneath the barricade, followed by her parents. She ran over to him and helped him up and threw her arms around his neck,

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She pulled away,

"What is your problem? Fighting like that."

"I couldn't take it; I told you what would happen if I ever crossed paths with him." She shook her head and, despite herself, smiled and hugged him again. He hugged her and, when he pulled away, he immediately started to apologize to her parents,

"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, I'm so sorry, I-" Her dad cut him off,

"Don't be sorry, Ben, we're not mad or upset."

"You're not?" Her mom shook her head,

"No, though we wouldn't have preferred the fighting, we're glad that you were willing to stand up for her." Allison smiled and he couldn't help but smile,

"Of course, I would have ever let someone do that to her, especially not Seth, I know all about him." Her dad nodded,

"Well, what are we going to do now? You can't go back in."

"Go back in and enjoy the concert, I don't want you to miss it just for me." She looked at him,

"What? No, I don't want to watch it without you."

"Allison, it's fine. I'll just see them the next time they come. I know how bad you wanted to see it; I'll just talk to you after." She looked at him and he added,

"Please?" She finally sighed,

"Okay." He smiled and gave her a kiss,

"Good, now go rock out for me."

* * *

><p>It took him about ten minutes to get back to his house. His dad's car was in the driveway and, when he went inside, his dad was sitting in the chair. He stood up as Ben walked in the room,<p>

"Hey, you're home early." When he got close, he must have seen the cuts on Ben's face,

"Whoa, why do you have cuts on your face?"

"It's nothing."

"No, why do you have cuts on your face?" Ben shook his head,

"I got into a fight at the concert."

"What? With who?"

"With Allison's ex- boyfriend."

"Why?"

He sighed and told his father about what Seth had done to her when Allison broke it off with him. He also told him about seeing Allison's face and the terrified look on it. He had tried to stay calm, he really had, but Seth kept pushing until Ben couldn't take it anymore.

"So, that's it; we started fighting. He got a couple of punches in and he broke a bottle over my head and above my eye. But he was pretty torn up." His dad smiled, but shook his head,

"You shouldn't have been fighting, especially at a concert Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were kind enough to invite you to."

"I know and I apologized to them twice. They told me not to be sorry though; they were glad I was willing to stand up for her."

"Yeah, that's true. I'm proud of you, too, son." He smiled,

"Thank you."

He spent the rest of the night with his father and talked for hours. At 10:00, his dad finally went to bed. He watched T.V. for about thirty minutes before he heard a car pull into his driveway. He raised his eyebrow and got up and looked out of the window, seeing Allison's car in the driveway. He turned the T.V. off and went and opened the door. He walked out of the porch as she got out of her car. He smiled as she waved and walked over to him.

"What are you doing here? It's 10:30." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders,

"I don't know, I just wanted to see you." He smiled,

"Well, let's go inside."

They went inside and sat down on the couch. He didn't cut on any lights but he turned on the T.V. so there would be a little light in the room. As they sat down, she looked at him, seeing the scars started to form on his face. She shook her head,

"You look a mess."

"Thank you." They both smiled and he put his arm around her as she cuddled up beneath his arm.

"So, how was the concert?"

"It was really good; I probably won't have voice tomorrow." He smiled,

"I'm glad you had fun."

"It would have been even more fun if you wouldn't have gotten thrown out.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He looked at her as she continued,

"I was scared. I came out of the bathroom and I saw him standing at the beer tent. I got butterflies in my stomach and I just stood there for a minute before I tried to slip past him. Unfortunately, he saw me and called my name. I tried to ignore him and squeeze past everyone, but he grabbed arm and pulled me towards him. He knew I was scared and I tried not to be, but I guess I couldn't hide it. When I saw you, I wasn't scared anymore; I knew you would protect me." She took a small break, then looked up at him and smiled,

"I think the lord sent you to me." He looked at her and smiled, knowing he would never love someone as much as he loved Allison. He leaned in and kissed her softly. He put his forehead to hers and closed his eyes,

"He sent you to me, too. You helped save me." She smiled and kissed him. He kissed her back and brought his hand up to her cheek. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and they kissed for a while before he forced himself to pull away,

"Allison, we can't do this."

"What? We're only kissing."

"I know, but we can't do…that; my dad's asleep down the hall." She smiled,

"Who said anything about doing you-know-what? We were just kissing." He nodded and looked away,

"I know, but it crept in my head and I know how you feel about the whole thing so I had to stop myself." She looked at him for a minute and smiled and kissed him softly.

"Thank you. You're rare, you know that?" He smiled,

"What do you mean?"

"You're rare in a lot of ways, this 'situation' being a perfect example. I don't think I've ever met a guy that's willing to stop himself, despite what he's feeling, for me." She smiled again,

"I love you." He smiled and kissed her,

"I love you, too."

They sat on the couch, cuddling and kissing for hours before she forced herself to leave. They kissed goodbye for a few minutes before she went and got in her car and drove home. He closed the door and went back to his room and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

><p>The next few days flew by; he fell into an easy routine, one he could imagine doing for the rest of his life. He spent as much time with Allison as he could; depending on her college schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays, she had class from two to six and on Wednesdays and Fridays, she had class from eight to twelve. They spent as much time together as possible and, while she was at class, he spent time with his father.<p>

He started to take days off to spend time with Ben. Though Ben told him he shouldn't sacrifice his work for him, his father wouldn't hear of it.

"You're only home for two weeks; I'm going to spend as much time with you as I can." So, while Allison was in class, he spent time with his father and, when she was done with her class, he spent time with her.

They did all kinds of things over the next few days; they went to the beach three days in a row and, though they were a little red by the third day, they applied enough sunscreen so that they didn't burn. They also went on the boardwalk.. They ended up going to Britts, like they did when they first met.

They sat on the beach at night and watched for shooting stars and ended up falling asleep in each other's arms. They also went to her parent's house for dinner twice and hey ate with his father one night. They went to church that Sunday; it was the first time he had sat with Allison and his father together. After church, his dad took them out to dinner, like he always did on Sundays.

They went to the beach again that afternoon and walked along the shore, hand in hand, as the sand moved between their toes. They lay on the beach again and while they were lying there, a plane passed overhead. He immediately thought about having to go back. He had to go back Friday afternoon at 6:00. Though it was five days away, he was still thinking about it. He had yet to tell her about the 'lists' and knew he had to do it soon.

They laid on the beach for a couple of more hours before he drove her back to her dorm. While they were driving, he kept thinking about those lists. When they reached her dorm, he decided to go ahead and tell her about them. He reached for her hand in the seat,

"Hey, I've got to tell you something." She looked at him,

"What is it?"

"Last week one of my friends from the Air Force came by the house. He had been transferred to Seymour Johnson and he stopped by to visit. One of the things he told me was that his wife had filed for divorce." Her expression turned sad,

"I'm so sorry; did he say why?" He took a deep breath,

"The Air Force is releasing four lists. The lists have people's names that are in the Air Force on them and, if your name is on there, you have to stay in for another four years." She looked at him; sadness, confusion and anger all in her expression,

"What? 4 years?" He nodded,

"They've already released one list, don't worry I wasn't on it. But Matt was; he told his wife and she said she couldn't do it anymore."

"Oh my gosh; that's terrible."

"I know, but I kind of see where she's coming from; they have two small children and she's basically a single parent. But I still couldn't believe it when I heard it."

"I know, that's terrible. I couldn't imagine doing that to someone, especially at a time when your friend needed the support." Ben nodded and smiled,

"So, I take it that if I happen to be picked to stay for another four years, you wouldn't bail on me?" He asked it in a joking manner, but was as serious as he had ever been She looked at him and squeezed his hand,

"Of course not. Yeah, it might be hard, maybe even really hard, but I couldn't imagine breaking up with you, especially after all we've been through." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her,

"Thank you."

She smiled and kissed him again. She put her hands on his cheeks while they were kissing and he unbuckled and scooted closer to her. They kissed for a while before she pulled away, smiling,

"Okay we have to stop; I'm going to get kicked out." He smiled,

"Alright, alright."

They kissed again before she got out and walked up the stairs and into her dorm. It took him about twenty minutes to get home and it was 9:00 when he pulled into the driveway. He got out and went inside.

He talked with his father for about thirty minutes. He told him he told Allison about the lists and that she had said she wouldn't leave even if he was put on those lists.

"Well, that's great news."

"Yeah, it is. I'm still praying that I'm not going to be on there, though. I want to get out as soon as I can and I don't want Allison to have to keep waiting for me."

"I understand completely; but Allison's strong and she loves you. I know she would wait as long as she had to."

"I hope so." He nodded and then remembered something,

"Oh, your cousin, Lauren, called today. She's coming down tomorrow to see you. You were really close with her, weren't you?" He nodded, remembering they used to always play together as children until she moved away with her parents when they were fourteen,

"Yeah I was, what time is she coming?"

"She said around lunchtime." He nodded,

"Okay, well I'm going to head to bed, all right?"

"Okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>He woke up at 9:00 the next morning. He took a jog around the neighborhood and came home and took a shower. By the time he got dressed, it was 10:30. He ate breakfast with his father and talked to him for a bit before they heard a car pull into the driveway. They looked at the clock at it was 11:30.<p>

Ben got up and went outside to see Lauren getting out of her car. She was taller than he remembered; she had long black hair and, when she saw him, she smiled. He went over and gave her a hug,

"Hey, cuz." He smiled,

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever."

"I know it has been a while; I'm good." She smiled,

"Well, come on, let's go inside; my dad's excited to see you."

They spent the next couple of hours talking and catching up. Lauren had just graduated from ECU-East Carolina University- with a degree in law. He told her about Allison and how they had met and everything that had happened. She smiled,

"Aww, that is so sweet; you're such a nice guy cuz."

"Thank you."

"Where is she?" He smiled and looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 4:00. It was Tuesday, which meant she had class from two to six.

"She's in class at UNCW." She nodded,

"Well, I think I need some fresh air; you want to come with me?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>They went out on the back deck and talked for almost two hours, mostly about their childhood and the memories they had together.<p>

"We used to spend all day back here." She said. He nodded,

"I know; do you remember when we carved or names into the bricks on the side of the house?" She laughed and nodded,

"Yeah I remember. Are they still there?"

"I don't know, let's go see." They got up and walked around to the side of the house, between the fence and the house. They searched for a minute before he found it,

"Here it is." He pointed to two bricks that had 'Ben Carter' and 'Lauren Watson' inscribed on them. She laughed and touched it with her hand,

"Wow, I remember that day." They were quiet for a minute before she asked,

"Can I tell you something?

"Sure, what is it?" She didn't say anything right away, but she finally looked at him and said, in a barely audible voice,

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" He asked, shocked. She nodded,

"I found out two days ago. He saw a tear fall down her cheek and he sighed and hugged her.

He held her for a few minutes. He could hear her crying and he stroked her hair and kissed her head. He laid his head on top of hers and looked towards the front of the house. That's when he saw Allison standing there, with tears on her cheeks. She put her hands over her mouth and said, in a voice just loud enough so that Ben could hear.

"Oh, god." She turned and ran in front of the house, sobbing. His heart dropped; he knew exactly why she was crying and knew he had to clear things up for her. He immediately let go of Lauren,

"I'm sorry, hold on."

He ran as fast as he could from beside the house and saw Allison opening the door to her car. He ran to her,

"Allison, it's not what it looks like." She shook her head as he reached her. He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.

"Allison, please, it's not what it looks like." She turned to face him and he saw tears streaming down her face,

"Get away from me."

"Allison, I swear it to you, it's not what it looks like she's-"

She cut him off and got in her car and slammed the door. She cut the car on and backed out of the driveway as he continued to yell her name and pleaded with her to stop. She didn't stop and, as soon as she got out of his driveway, she sped away down the street. He ran to the edge of the road, still yelling her name, but it did no good. He saw her turn at the end of the street and she disappeared down the road. He immediately ran inside and grabbed his keys. His father saw him,

"Whoa, Ben, what happened?"

"Allison thinks I'm cheating on her."

"Whoa, what? Why?"

"She saw me hugging Lauren! I have to go; I have to go after her." His dad held up his hands,

"Ben, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! She thinks I'm cheating on her! I have to go talk to her."

"That's not a good idea."

"What do you mean it's not a good idea? She. Thinks. I'm. Cheating. On. Her. What part of that do you not get?"

"I know, I know, but if what you're saying is true, she's probably devastated. You need to give her some time to calm down."

"What? No, I need to talk to her right now."

"I'm telling you, she's not going to want to talk to you. Give her a little bit of time until she calms down, then go and talk to her."

Despite how much he wanted to race after her to explain what she saw, he convinced himself that his father was right. She was probably devastated and needed time to come to her senses and know that he would never, in a million years, cheat on her. He finally nodded,

"You're right, how long should I wait?"

He ended up waiting for almost a half an hour. He decided that it had to be the longest half hour ever and wanted nothing more than to rush over to her dorm and explain. While he was waiting, his cousin came in and he explained to her what happened.

"Oh my gosh, she thinks you're cheating on her?"

"By the look on her face and the fact that she had tears streaming down her face? Yeah, and I need to go explain right now, but my dad said to wait and give her some time to calm down."

"Your dad's right, but I think you've waited long enough. Go." Ben nodded,

"Okay, thanks, wish me luck."

* * *

><p><strong>:O oh no! I told you guys this chapter was exciting! The next one will be up soon, I promise! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review!<strong>


	30. Chapter 29

**Well, here's the next chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying it. I'm not getting hardly any reviews in at all. I don't even know if anyone's still reading this. Special thanks to mihaela who reviews every chapter! You're literally what's keeping this story going. Please, if you're reading this, review the story. I really want to know what you guys think. It's only fair right? ;) alright, enough whining from the author, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29<strong>

He got in his truck and sped to her dorm. It normally took him twenty minutes to get there but, because he was speeding, he reached it in ten. He parked in the parking lot in front of her dorm and jumped out. He raced up the stairs and into the door that led to the hallway of dorms. He didn't care if it was an 'all-girl' dorm and didn't care if he got caught; he needed to talk to her.

He ran down the hallway and to her room. The door was closed and he beat on it with his fist. It took a couple of seconds, but she finally opened the door. He saw tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were red and swollen. She raised both of her eyebrows,

"Ben, what are you doing here?"

"I have to talk to you and explain what you saw." She shook her head and went to close the door,

"You don't have to explain anything." He caught the door with his hand,

"Yes I do, you think I'm cheating on you but I swear to you I'm not. I would never, ever cheat on you." She whipped around to face him and he saw more tears streaming down her face,

"I saw you! You stroked her hair and kissed her head! You were beside your house so no one could see you; you don't have to explain anything." She closed the door and he moved his hand out of the way. He sighed, his anger, as well as sadness, rising,

"Allison, please open the door."

"Go away, Ben, before they come and throw you out."

"It was my cousin!" He finally yelled. This must have stopped her because he didn't hear anything. He continued,

"It was my cousin you saw. She came to visit me and we went to the side of the house because that's where we used to always play together. We went back there and she told me she was pregnant. That's why I was holding her and comforting her. That's why we were beside the house; it was my cousin." He took a small break to see if she would open the door or say anything but, when she didn't, he sighed,

"I'm wasting my breath; you're already convinced I'm cheating you. But I would never, in a million years cheat on you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and you know that." He shook his head,

"I just can't believe you would think I'm cheating on you."

With that, he turned away from her door, needing time to think. He walked down the hallway and out the door. He went to walk down the steps when he heard the door behind him open. He turned around to see Allison standing there in tears. They looked at each other for a minute before she asked,

"It was your cousin?" He nodded,

"Yeah." She looked away as tears streamed down her face. She put her hands over her mouth,

"Oh my god."

She started crying, soft at first, but then harder. He sighed and went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She continued to cry and he stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She shook her head and pulled away to look at him,

"No, it's not. I yelled at you and accused you of things when I had no idea what I was talking about. I know you love me and I love you with all of my heart. I think that's why I reacted the way I did. I'm sorry." He smiled and pulled her close and kissed her gently. He put his forehead to hers,

"It's okay, really. I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you." She smiled as a few more tears fell down her face and she reached up and kissed him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she put both of her hands on his cheeks. He put his hands on her waist and continued to kiss her. She pulled away and whispered,

"Will you come with me?"

"Anywhere." She smiled, remembering when she said the same thing to him. She took him by his hand and led him back down the hallway. She opened the door to her dorm, but he shook his head,

"Allison I can't go in there, it's all-girl."

"It's okay, come on."

She led him inside and showed him around. Her bed was in the middle of the room and her dresser was off to the left. There was a bookcase and a desk to the right and there was a small T.V. on her dresser. She extended her arms to her side,

"Well, this is it."

"It's nice, very cozy." She smiled and sat down on her bed. He sat down beside her as she said,

"I love it here; my neighbors are great and my teachers are great too."

"That's good, I'm glad you like it, you deserve it."

She smiled and he leaned in and kissed her. They repeated what they did outside and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She put her hands on his cheeks and he put his hands on her waist. They kissed for a couple of minutes when he felt Allison begin to raise his shirt. He felt goose bumps as she touched his stomach. They continued kissing until she began to raise his shirt higher. When he realized what was about to happen, he forced himself to pull away, despite how much he wanted it to go further,

"Wait, Allison-" She cut him off by shaking her head. She put her forehead to his and closed her eyes and whispered,

"No more waiting." She smiled and opened her eyes,

"I'm ready."

He swallowed the lump in his throat as she took his shirt off. He got off of the bed and took off his jeans as she slipped her shirt and jeans off, also. They met again on the bed and removed each other's clothes.

They began to make love and her touch felt like fire on his skin. He kissed her neck and her lips as he moved over her. They made love slowly and, when they were done, he lay beside her in the bed, whispering how much he loved her.

They made love again before falling asleep in each other's arms. As she lay snuggled up to him beneath his arm, he felt perfectly content as if everything in the world had been made right by him and Allison sharing themselves.

They fell asleep in each other's arms and, the next morning, he awoke beside her. He watched the peaceful way she slept until, finally, her eyelids began to flutter open. She smiled,

"Good morning." He smiled and kissed her forehead,

"Good morning."

She smiled again and looked at the clock behind his head. It was 6:15 and they laughed and cuddled in each other's arms for almost thirty minutes before he forced himself to get up. He wasn't supposed to even be on the campus and they got their clothes on before she sneaked him out to his truck. When they got there, she smiled and reached up and kissed him,

"Last night was one of the most special nights of my life, thank you." He smiled and kissed her again,

"It was one of the most special nights of my life, too. I love you." She smiled again,

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>His last couple of days on leave flew by. Wednesday, she had class from eight to two. He left her dorm that morning and went home and spent time with his father until she got out of class at two. She came over to his house and they ended up looking at photo albums from when Ben was a child. She enjoyed them and laughed to no end.<p>

After looking at them, they watched television and, at 5:30, Allison helped them cook dinner. She stayed by Ben's side as he grilled the chicken on the grill and she wandered inside and helped his father with the salad and the baked potatoes. They ate on the back deck and, after they were finished, Ben and Allison did the dishes.

They went and sat on the back deck on the loveseat and ended up staying out there for almost two and a half hours. They cuddled underneath the moon and stars and talked about a lot of things. They talked a lot about him going back. It was Wednesday night and he had to go back Friday, which meant that tomorrow was their last full day together.

"I'll ask to be transferred back to the states as soon as I get back. Look on the bright side; this is my last term and it's only nine months this time That's half of what it was last time." She nodded as she snuggled up beneath his arm,

"I know, it'll be over before we know it." He smiled and kissed her head,

"Yeah it will, I promise."

They sat out there until almost 11:00. He walked her out to her car and kissed her goodnight. She put her arms around his neck,

"I love you, you know."

"I know." She smiled and punched his arm playfully,

"What? You're not going to say it back?" He smiled and leaned in and kissed her,

"I love you; I love you more than anything in the world."

She smiled and reached up and kissed him again before she slipped behind the wheel of her car and backed out of the driveway. He smiled and walked back inside, feeling on cloud nine, but somehow ignoring the fact that he had to go back in less than forty-eight hours.

* * *

><p>He woke up the next morning at 8:00. He continued his regular morning routine by jogging around the neighborhood for about forty-five minutes. He came home and took a shower and put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.<p>

He had breakfast with his father; his father made pancakes on the griddle while Ben fried up some bacon and sausage. They sat down and ate and he talked to his father, mostly about going back to Afghanistan. He told him what he told Allison; he was planning on requesting to be sent back here to the United States and that he would only be gone for nine months. His dad nodded,

"Good, I don't think I could go another eighteen months without you." Ben smiled and nodded as the phone rang. His dad got up,

"I'll get it." He went over to the phone and picked it up,

"Hello?" Ben looked at him before his dad turned towards him,

"It's for you."

* * *

><p>"I got a call last night at 12:00 in the morning that my mom found my dad unconscious. She went in the living room to tell him to come to bed and he was unconscious in the chair." Ben sighed as he sat beside Allison in the hospital waiting room.<p>

"Fortunately, he gained consciousness a little while after he was admitted. They wouldn't let me and my mom in the room right away and we had to wait here for almost an hour. They wanted to do some tests to see what happened. So, I've been here all night and my dad told me to go get some rest but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I also knew I had to come tell you." He nodded, shocked and surprised that all of this had happened.

"So, do they know what happened?"

"No, but they think it had something to do with the brain tumors, which is the most logical cause. I just don't understand; he's been fine and nothing has been wrong with him. I don't understand how his health depleted so quickly. I'm just praying that he'll be okay." He nodded,

"I am, too."

Her mom came and unlocked the door with her room key and they went to his room and walked inside. What Ben saw surprised him. Her father was lying in the bed and he was as white as a ghost. He had bags under his eyes and his skin was almost translucent. He couldn't believe that her father had changed that much in a couple of days. Despite his surprise he smiled,

"Hey, Mr. Johnson."

"Hey, Ben, how are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" As soon as he asked, he knew it was a stupid question. He opened his mouth to say something, but her dad held up his hands,

"It's okay, come sit down you two."

They ended up staying at the hospital until 1:00, longer than they expected. They talked about many things and, around lunchtime, Ben went out and bought back McDonalds. They ate lunch in the room and, at 1:00, they decided to leave. She had class at two and she needed to get ready for it. Ben stood up first,

"I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson. I hope you feel better so you can get out of here." Her dad tried to smile, but couldn't,

"Thank you; thank you for coming by, it means a lot.

"No problem." Ben gave him a hug and he moved aside so Allison could get to him. She gave him a hug,

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too, sweetheart." As she pulled away, she had tears on her cheeks.

"I'll be back after my class ends."

"No, honey, you don't have to; go out with Ben, his last day is tomorrow and I know you both want to spend as much time together as you can." Allison opened her mouth to say something, but her dad beat her to it,

"I'll be fine honey- you can come back later tonight, but spend time with Ben." She didn't say anything at first, but finally nodded and gave him another hug.

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you, too."

They left the hospital and their drive home was silent. He knew she had a lot on her mind and didn't blame her for not telling him good-bye or that she loved him. She simply kissed him and told him that she would come by after her class was over.

He went inside and lazed around until his dad got off of work at 4:30. While he was alone, he went out and checked the mail and saw that he had another letter from Tyler. He went inside and read it and it was basically an exchange of information and Ben didn't bother writing him back; he would be seeing him tomorrow night. When his dad got home, Ben told him what had happened with Allison's father.

" What? Is he all right?"

"I honestly don't know. He looked pretty rough when I saw him, but they should be getting the results of the tests they did anytime now."

"Gosh, that's awful. If you see him again, tell him we're praying for him."

"Okay, I will."

* * *

><p>At around 6:45, he heard a car pull into the driveway. She was still upset and their evening together was tense. He tried to take her mind off it, but she wasn't up for anything. They sat on the loveseat on the back deck and cuddled up to each other for a couple of hours until she said that she had to use the bathroom.<p>

A couple of minutes passed and he wondered where she was. After almost ten minutes, he got up and went in the house. His father was asleep in the living room and he went and checked in the bathroom but it was empty. He checked the living room and kitchen, but she was nowhere to be found. He went to his room and that's when he saw her.

She was sitting on his bed, with her head in her hands, sobbing. It stopped him and she must have heard him because she looked up at him. She wiped her cheeks, but it did no good because more tears quickly followed.

"Do you want to be alone?"

"No. That's actually the last thing I want." He went and sat beside her. He held her for a while, listening to her crying and feeling helpless as to what to do to help her. She finally stopped crying and took a deep breath and laughed, embarrassedly,

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it's fine; let it out." She smiled weakly and said,

"I was just thinking about everything. Dad's in the hospital and you're leaving tomorrow." He looked away, fearing she was going to say that. She continued,

"You'll be gone for nine months. I know that's only half the time you were gone last time, but it's still a long time. I want you to know I love what you're doing for our country, but I'm just scared. I love you so much and I can't imagine what I would do if something happened to you.

When I saw you with your cousin and I thought you were cheating on me I felt like my heart was literally breaking. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. I know that sounds selfish; you're risking your life for our country, but I can't help feeling this way."

"It's not selfish. I promise you I'll come back to you. You know I never break my promises and this is one I would bet my life on. I promise you I'll come back to you."

After talking to her, they went to the hospital and spent time with her father. They stayed until midnight and they would have stayed longer, but her father demanded they go home and get some sleep. She dropped him off at his house and, while they were saying goodnight, he asked,

"So are we okay?" She smiled and reached up and kissed him,

"Yeah, we're okay. I keep reminding myself that it's only nine months this time; that you're almost out for good." As soon as she said it, he immediately thought of the lists. He knew she hadn't forgotten about them; she was simply trying to look at the positive side of things. He nodded,

"That's right. I'll be back here with you, forever." She smiled, but wrinkled her nose,

"I don't know about forever; that's a pretty long time."

"Well, it doesn't matter because that's how long you're stuck with me." They both laughed and she reached up and kissed him,

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere either."

* * *

><p>His last day on leave was the fastest day of his life. Allison was in a far better mood than the day before and they ended up going down to the Kure Beach pier and fishing in the same exact spot as when he first took her.<p>

They caught a couple of fish, but that didn't matter because they laughed and joked for almost two hours. After they fished, they went on the boardwalk and stopped at Britt's and ate in the same booth along the wall. After they finished their donuts, they went down past the marina and stopped at an area right near the water and took pictures. They took a lot of pictures and had one of the men standing near them take pictures with Ben and Allison both in them. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach, with the water behind them.

It was 3:30 when they finished taking pictures. As they were walking back to his truck, she looped her arm through his. He smiled and kissed her hand that he was holding. She smiled as her phone started ringing. They stopped walking and she answered it. Again, she was only on it for a couple of minutes. But those couple of minutes was just long enough for her to hear whoever was on the other end and for her to hang up the phone and put her head in her hands and begin crying.

The ride to the hospital was silent. She cried silently in the seat next to him and as much as he wanted to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be okay, he couldn't. They had just received the results of the tests they performed on her father and they weren't what the doctors had hoped for.

The tumors in her father's brain had spread and the doctors announced that he had, at most, three months to live. Ben couldn't believe it and he didn't know what to say to Allison to try and make her feel better; there wasn't anything to say.

When they reached the hospital, they rode the elevator up to the sixth floor and walked down the hallway to her father's room. When they went and saw her father lying in the bed, Allison immediately got tears in her eyes and ran to him and hugged him. They hugged for a while and Ben went over to where her mom was sitting and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Johnson."

"Thank you, Ben." He nodded and turned back to look at Allison and she was still hugging her dad. She was crying and he could see tears filling up her father's eyes. When they finally broke apart, she moved aside so Ben could get to him. He walked over and shook his hand, then reached down and hugged him. When they pulled apart he said,

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Johnson."

"Don't be; I knew it was coming sooner or later. Everyone has to die sometime. I guess God wants me to join him up in heaven sooner, not later." He looked away and glanced at Allison and her mom, who both had tears in their eyes.

They only stayed for about fifteen or twenty minutes. They had gotten to the hospital at 4:00 and Ben had to leave to go to the airport at five. He still had to go home and pack his things and change into his uniform. They left the hospital at 4:15. While Allison was hugging her father, Ben turned to her mom and hugged her.

"Good luck with everything, Ben, and please come home safely."

"Thank you, I'll try my best to. Good luck with everything here. Me and my dad will both be praying for you."

"Thank you both." Allison stepped back and stood beside her mom. He went to her dad and gave him a hug.

"Be safe, okay, Ben?"

"I will don't worry about me. You just focus on getting better, okay?"

"I'll try. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, Ben. I couldn't have picked a better boyfriend for Allison. I really hope you guys make it." Ben sighed, knowing that he was telling him goodbye.

"Don't say that, Mr. Johnson, I'm not going to say my goodbyes yet. I'll be back and I'll see you soon." Her dad shook his head,

"You come back in nine months, Ben. I don't have that long; I only have three months, at most. I know what you're doing and it's nice. Believe me, I wish what you were saying was the case but unfortunately it isn't. There's no use pretending." Despite himself, he nodded and gave him another hug,

"Good-bye, Mr. Johnson. Thank you for everything; you opened your house up to me and welcomed me with open arms. I really felt like I was a part of your family and I can't tell you how much that's meant to me." Her dad smiled weakly and they said good-bye one more time before leaving.

* * *

><p>It was 4:40 when they got to Ben's house. Allison was quiet and barely said a word on their way back to his house. When they reached his house, his dad's car was parked in the driveway. They went inside, where his dad was making dinner.<p>

They ate together and they both ended up telling his father about Allison's dad's condition. He was shocked and told Allison that if she needed anything, he would be there for her. After they ate, Allison helped his father clean up while Ben went to go pack and get dressed. He packed all of his things and put on his uniform. He stared at himself in the mirror for a minute before he sighed and picked up his bag.

He walked back into the kitchen where Allison and his dad were just finishing cleaning. When she saw him she stared at him for a moment. She finally looked away and he thought he saw tears in her eyes. His father cut in and asked,

"Well, it's going on 5:00; do you want to head on?" Ben glanced at Aison and she looked at him. Despite himself, he nodded,

"Yeah, let's go."

It took about twenty minutes to get to the airport. Ben rode up front with his father while Allison rode in the back seat. When they got there, he grabbed his bag from the trunk and they headed inside. While they were walking, he reached for her hand. They sat in the lobby for almost a half an hour. He sat next to her, his hand locked with hers. It was mostly quiet except for a few exchanges of information between Allison and his father. At 5:45, fifteen minutes before his plane was scheduled to leave, his dad put his hands on his knees,

"Well, it's about that time, isn't it?" Ben looked away, then at Allison. She had tears in her eyes and it was all he could do to swallow the lump in his throat and nod his head. He told his dad good-bye first. He put his bag down and hugged him,

"Be safe, okay? I love you, Ben."

"I love you, too, and I will. Don't have too much fun without me, okay?" His dad smiled and nodded,

"Okay." They hugged one more time and Ben turned to Allison. His dad walked off to the side, giving them time alone. When he turned to Allison, she had her arms crossed and she had tears in her eyes. He sighed and opened his arms.

He held her for a while; he stroked her hair and he could hear her crying. After holding her for a while, he pulled away and put both of his hands on her cheeks and put his forehead to hers,

"I promise I'll come back to you. I promise, okay?" She nodded as tears fell down her cheeks. He hugged her again, getting tears in his own eyes,

'I love you so much, Allison."

"I love you, too." He stroked her cheek gently and kissed her

"Are you going to write to me?" She smiled, weakly,

"Of course I am. It's only nine months this time, I can handle that." He smiled and kissed her again,

"Thank you. Tell your dad I'm going to miss him."

She nodded as more tears fell down her cheeks. He held her again and kissed her head as the intercom came on overhead, announcing that his plane was now boarding. Despite how much he wanted to say right here with Allison, he forced himself to pull away,

"I have to go." She nodded, her lip quivering,

"I know."

He kissed her one last time and whispered how much he loved her. He force d himself to let her go and he reached for his bag and slung it over his shoulder He waved to his father and to Allison, who stood with her arms crossed and tears in her eyes. He turned and walked down the hallway and into, what he thought would be, nine months away from everything he loved.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoa, did you catch that at the end? "What he thought would be..." Hmmm, what's going to happen? I don't know! Actually I do know... so i'll try to get it up soon so you can know too! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please please please review! :)<strong>


	31. Chapter 30

**Hello again! Yes, this chapter is short compared to my others; that's why I got it up so quick! But the next chapters will be long and exciting! Whoop whoop! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 30<strong>

His plane ride back to Afghanistan was boring. They showed a couple of movies, but Ben wasn't up for watching anything. As he sat on the plane staring out of the window, he thought continuously of Allison, as well as her father and of the three lists that were yet to be released.

When he finally got to Afghanistan, the taxi took him to the familiar base he was stationed at. When he got there, he saw Tyler as well as a few other people waiting for him. He got out of the taxi and grabbed his bag. He gave the taxi driver a tip and turned back to face Tyler and the other guys. Tyler smiled and Ben couldn't help but smile and give him a hug,

"How are you doing, Tyler?"

"I'm good, how about you?"

"I'm doing okay."

Tyler smiled and nodded and Ben talked to the other guys that come and greeted him for a minute. When he was finished talking to them, Tyler patted him on the back,

"Well come on let's get you moved in; I've got a surprise for you." Ben followed Tyler into the barracks, curious to see what the surprise Tyler had for him was.

"What is it, Tyler?"

"You'll see; we're almost there." He followed him for a few more minutes before Tyler stopped in front of the rooms. He opened the door and went in and Ben followed, confused. Tyler lied down on one of the beds and spread his arms apart,

"Well, how do you like it?"

"Like what?"

"You're surprise."

"What is it?"

"This is your room, as well as mine." Ben looked at him,

"We're roommates?"

"Yep. When Matt transferred, my roommate went with him. So, I told the office that you could be my roommate since neither of us had one and they agreed." Ben smiled and hi-fived him,

"Alright, that sounds good." Tyler nodded and sat down on the bed again,

"So, tell me about your trip, and don't leave anything out; I want to know everything."

Ben recounted his two wonderful weeks with Allison, as well as his father and her parents. He told him about the things they did and they went. He also told him about their argument and that she thought he was cheating on her with his cousin. Tyler laughed when he told him this,

"She thought you were cheating on her?"

"Yeah."

"And it was your cousin?" Ben smiled and nodded,

"Yeah." Tyler laughed,

"Wow, that's messed up. I bet she lost it when she thought you were cheating on her, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did actually. She told me herself; she told me that it felt like her heart had broken when she saw me and Lauren together." Tyler sighed,

"Man, you know what that means, don't you?"

"What?"

"Well, it's just that, if you ever do cheat on her-"

"That's not going to happen." Ben interrupted. Tyler held up his hands,

"I know, I'm just saying. Or if something happens to you while you're over here she's going to be a wreck. You have a lot of power over her, man."

Ben looked away; he had never thought about it like that before. He did have a lot of power over her; if something did happen to him, how would Allison take it? She had said herself that her heart had almost broken when she saw him with Lauren. What if he got seriously injured or even killed in one of his missions? What would she do? Or, more importantly, would she be able to handle news like that? Things started to run through his head when Tyler said,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He shook his head,

"No, it's okay, you're right, actually; I do have a lot of power over here."

"I just meant that she loves you a lot. You're a lucky man, Ben." He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I am."

* * *

><p>The next couple of months on base were quiet. He practiced flying with Tyler and began to spend a lot of time with him. In addition to being roommates, they practiced flying together and they took a couple of classes together. They would also go and get a couple of beers; well, Ben had a few beers, Tyler would end up drinking water or nothing at all.<p>

He also wrote letters to Allison. On his first day back, he had wrote her a letter telling her how much he already missed her and how much he loved her. She continued to go to her classes and UNCW; she had officially made up her mind that she wanted to be a nurse and not a pediatrician.

When she wasn't in class, she was at the hospital with her dad. His health remained the same, not any better, nor any worse. In the middle of Ben's second month, she wrote him telling him that her dad didn't have much time left. He sighed when he read this and, again, felt as hopeless as ever.

He was thousands of miles away, across the ocean. He couldn't hold her and tell her that it was okay, because everything wasn't. He wrote back telling her how sorry he was and to tell him to never give up and that Ben was praying for him. He prayed every night before he went to bed and had even gotten Tyler to start doing it.

In addition to praying, he had found a recruit that was also a preacher and who had services every Sunday in his barracks. Ben and Tyler both went to them, Ben more than Tyler. Allison had also continued to sing at the church. She sung every other weekend and still loved it just as much as she first had. The church had even started to pray for her father, asking the Lord for a miracle, but somehow knowing it was too late. His health was depleting quickly and, as much as Ben and his father, both had prayed, it didn't look as though things were going to get better.

As well as writing letters to Allison, he wrote letters to his father as well. His father wasn't up to much; he had visited Allison's father in the hospital twice and continued to take her out for dinner on Sundays after going to church.

He also called Allison and a couple of times and they talked on the phone for a while, but their main method of communication was writing letters. She had gotten the pictures they had taken down by the river on his last day on leave developed and got doubles; she sent him one copy of them and kept a copy for herself. When he got them, he stared at them for hours. It had been two and a half months since he left and he missed Allison, as well as Wilmington in general, every second he was gone.

At the end of November, his second month, Tyler came into the room with an excited and scared look on his face. Ben was reading a book when he came in and he put it down and smiled,

"What's wrong with you?" Tyler smiled,

"Oh nothing, I've been sent on a mission though." Ben smiled again and sat up on the bed,

"Where to?"

"I don't even know, all I know is there's an out-of-control fire and they need my help."

"When are you leaving?"

"In about two minutes."

"Well you better get going, what are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to say bye to you, do you have a problem with that?" Ben smiled and shook his head,

"No, just be safe, okay?"

"I will. You have fun here without a room-mate okay?" He nodded and a gave him a quick hug,

"I'll try."

He lazed around the base for the rest of the night and into the next day. He went and had a beer with a few of his friends and, when he came back to his room, there was an officer standing in front of his door.

"Can I help you, officer?" Ben asked when he got closer. The officer turned around to face him, with an envelope in his hand.

"Are you Ben Carter?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, we just got the call about fifteen minutes ago."

* * *

><p>As he packed his things to go back to Wilmington, he was both excited and saw at the same time. He was excited because he would be seeing Allison, his father and her mom, but sad because of the circumstances; her father had passed away in his sleep the night before and the Force had granted him emergency leave.<p>

He couldn't imagine what Allison and her mom must have been feeling. He finished packing his things and, since Tyler was gone, he left without saying good-bye to anyone. The taxi picked him up and brought him to the airport. When he got there, he went to a payphone and called Allison. He was sort of nervous; he didn't know how she was or how she was feeling and didn't know how she was coping with what had happened. He dialed her number and he waited a few seconds before she answered,

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Ben."

"Ben?" Her voice was excited and he couldn't help but smile and sigh a breath of relief,

"Yep." He sighed,

"I'm so sorry, Allison." She was quiet for a minute, before she sighed and simply said,

"It's okay." H heard the intercom come on overhead and announce that his plane was about to board,

"Well, listen to this; I have a surprise for you."

"Really? What is it?" She sounded curious and excited and he smiled,

"I'm coming home."

"What? You're coming home?" She exclaimed. He smiled again,

"Yep, I'm actually at the airport in Afghanistan and my plane's about to board; I was wondering if you could pick me up?"

"Absolutely!" She took a small break, then asked,

"Are you coming home because of my dad?" He sighed, knowing she was going to ask,

"Yeah, they granted me emergency leave." She was quiet for a minute and he knew she was thinking the same thing he was; the last time he was granted emergency leave he had to go back for eighteen months.

"Don't worry, I doubt I'll have to go back for eighteen months again; they're giving me five days this time, not two weeks." She took a deep breath,

"I hope not, well, I'll pick you up at the airport. Have a safe flight, I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>:( sad chapter. But this had to happen. For future events. Which I will not speak of. Until the time is right. :D the next chapterchapters will be longer, I promise! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	32. Chapter 31

**New chapter! Holla. Like I promised, this chapter is longer! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 31<strong>

The plan ride took about eight hours and, again, they showed a couple of movies. He watched one of them; it was called Rendition. When that movie was over, they waited thirty minutes and then showed another one Ben didn't feel like watching. He cut off his screen and stared out of the window for the rest of the trip. When they finally started making their descent into Wilmington, he was growing excited, despite the circumstances.

It was the first time Allison was going to be picking him up from the airport. He didn't know how she would react, especially with her father passing away. When the plane finally landed, he got off of the plane and walked into the terminal and grabbed his bag. He walked down the hallway and into the busy lobby.

He scanned the crowd and didn't see her but, when he scanned the second time, he saw her. He smiled and began to walk towards her. She didn't see him at first but, as he drew closer, she saw him. She grinned and ran towards him. He smiled and put his bag down and caught her as she jumped in his arms.

"I missed you so much." He heard her whisper. He pulled back and kissed her softly,

"I missed you, too."

* * *

><p>As she drove him to his house-they were going to surprise his father- they talked the entire way. She was, surprisingly, in a cheery mood and held his hand as they drove. They talked mostly of his time in Afghanistan; he found it strange that she had not said anything about her father. Since she had not said anything, he had not said anything either. She obviously didn't want to talk about it and he wasn't about to bring it up.<p>

They eventually reached his house and, since it was 6:00, his father was already home from work. They walked up to the door and she rang the doorbell. They heard footsteps behind the door and, a couple of seconds later, the door opened. His dad opened the door and saw Allison and Ben standing there. His expression turned happy, as well as confused,

"Ben? What are you doing here?" Ben smiled and gave him a hug,

"I came back for a couple of days."

"Why? How?"

Ben looked at Allison; it was going to be the first time either one of them had mentioned her father. He didn't even know if his father knew about her dad's death for that matter. He cleared his throat and asked Allison,

"Did you tell him?" He saw her swallow and shake her head,

"Tell me what?" His dad asked. Ben sighed,

"Allison's father passed away, dad." His dad got a shocked expression on his face,

"What?" Ben nodded and his dad sighed and opened his arms to Allison. He held her for a minute,

"I'm so sorry, honey." Ben saw tears fall down Allison's cheeks and he sighed, wishing he could do something to help her.

After his dad held Allison for a minute, he let her go and they went inside. His dad announced that he was going to order a pizza, which was a good thing because Ben was starving. While his dad was ordering the pizza, Ben went to his room and started unpacking his things. Allison came with him and sat on the bed while he was putting his things in his drawer.

They didn't say anything while he was putting his things away. He didn't know what to say; he didn't know if she wanted to talk about it so he kept quiet. After he finished putting up all of his clothes and pictures, he told her he was going to the bathroom to put his soap and shampoo back in the shower. While he was in there, he wet his face and put his hands on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked different; older and more rugged. He still had the scars from his fight with Seth and they added to his rugged appearance. His hair was getting longer and he figured they would make him cut it as soon as he got back. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his father in the kitchen. He sighed and went back to his room. When he opened the door, he saw Allison sitting on the bed crying with her head in her hands.

He knew, of course, what she was crying about and decided to not say anything. Instead, he went and sat down on the bed beside her and held her close, whispering over and over how sorry he was.

He held her for a long time before he pulled away and put his forehead to hers. He wiped both of her cheeks with his hands and whispered again how sorry he was. She sniffled and said, in a barely audible voice,

"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't tell your father; I haven't talked to anyone since it happened and I can't talk about it at all without bawling."

"It's okay, I understand completely." She shook her head,

"No you don't; how could you?" She pulled away and got off of the bed. He looked at her confused and got off of the bed with her,

"What do you mean how could I? I know exactly how you feel; you feel like you could have done something else or something better than would've prevented your dad from dying. You feel like you should have told your dad how much you love him and how much you appreciate everything he ever did for you. How can I understand completely? Because I went through the same exact thing when my mom died." He went over to her and put his hand on her cheek and pulled her closer,

"You feel like you're about to break and if anyone talks about him or if you have to talk about him yourself, you're going to break into a million pieces. Your dad loved you so much and you know he's in a better place. He's watching over you and your mom from heaven. He wouldn't want you to be crying and being said and upset; he would want you to try and go on, even if that seems impossible to do right now" She looked up at him and then smiled.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for saying that to you; I know it probably brought back bad memories from when your mom died and I'm really sorry." She sighed and smiled,

"I'm glad you're here; if only for a couple of days. I feel better knowing you're here and knowing that I can be in your arms and that you'll hold me, just like you're doing now." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her.

They kissed for a while before they heard his father call that the pizza was here. He kissed her one more time before they went in the kitchen and had dinner with his father. They ate together and, while they ate, his dad asked him a lot of questions about Afghanistan.

He told him that it was quiet the two months he was over there. He told him that he mostly spent time with Tyler; flying and going to classes and going to the preacher's room every Sunday to have church. Allison smiled when he mentioned this and squeezed his hand underneath the table. After they ate, they thanked his father and she asked him if he wanted to go and see her mom. He nodded,

"Absolutely."

* * *

><p>They ended up visiting for about an hour. Her mom was shocked to see Ben, but welcomed him with open arms, like she always did. Her mom set the funeral for Allison's father for Wednesday at 1:00. She set the visitation and the funeral back to back; the visitation was from 1:00- 3:00 and the funeral started at 3:30. It was at a church a couple of minutes away from her mom's house; where her dad grew up.<p>

They talked about her father and they actually helped her mom pick out pictures to display at the visitation. They chose fifteen pictures and one of them had her father, Ben and Allison in it. Ben had never seen it before and he smiled as they looked through all of them.

After helping her mom pick out the pictures, they decided to head on home. They hugged her mom good-bye and Ben told her how sorry he was. Allison hugged her mom for a while and Ben saw tears fall down her mom's face; Allison's back was to him, but he figured she was crying, too.

After they held each other for a while, they broke apart and her mom kissed her good-bye. Allison turned around to face him and he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. While they were walking to her car, he put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

It was around 8:30 when they got back to his house. She told his father goodnight and told Ben told him he'd be in the house in a minute. When he got inside, Ben turned to her and opened his arms. He held her for a while, stroking her hair; he heard her begin to cry and he held her tighter. After he held her for a while, he pulled away and wiped the tears from her cheeks with both of his hands. He put his forehead to hers,

"Will you come with me?" She nodded,

"Anywhere."

* * *

><p>He led her to the backyard and told her to wait on the back porch and to close her eyes. She smiled and covered her eyes with her hands. He rushed inside and grabbed a blanket, one of his sweatshirts and a thermos of hot chocolate. He went back outside and tip-toed by her and down the porch steps.<p>

He went over the small hill in his backyard and to an open field behind his house. He looked up and made sure that he could see both of the constellations and spread the blanket out and laid his sweatshirt and thermos on it and ran back to Allison. When he got to her, he said

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." She smiled and uncovered her eyes. He held out his hand,

"Come on."

She smiled and took his hand. He led her down the steps and over the small hill and to the open field. He stopped in front of the blanket and turned around to face her. She had a big smile on her face and she asked,

"What's all of this?"

"I recreated our first date. It's not exactly the same, but it's pretty close, right?" She smiled and nodded and kissed him.

They laid on the blanket, wrapped in each other's arms. He showed her the constellations he had showed her on their first date as they laid, partially covered by his sweatshirt. It was a cool night; the weather channel said forty-five degrees and she ended up grabbing his sweatshirt and putting it on. They talked and laughed for hours before falling asleep in each other's arms.

They spent the entire next day together. When they woke up the next morning, they laughed and kissed for almost thirty minutes before they decided to get up. Ben grabbed the blanket while Allison grabbed the thermos. They walked back to the house and Allison decided to get ready there.

While she was in the shower, he drove right down the street and picked up a couple of sausage, egg and cheese biscuits. It only took him ten minutes to drive there, get breakfast and come back; she was still in the shower when he returned. He quickly went into the kitchen and unwrapped the biscuits and put them on plates and threw the wrapping and the bag away. He took a pan out of the cabinet and put it on the stove as he heard the water turn off. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:00; she had class at two. He heard her call him name and he went to the door and put his ear up to it,

"What?"

"Can I have a shirt, please?" He smiled,

"Yeah, what kind do you want?"

"What do you mean what kind do I want?"

"Well, do you want a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt or a sweatshirt?"

"Oh, a long sleeve shirt, please." He smiled,

"Okay, hold on." He went and got her a white shirt and went back to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Allison, open the door."

He heard the door unlock and he reached for the knob but it opened before he turned it. He looked up and saw Allison standing there, wrapped only in a towel. Her hair was wet and wavy and he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, knowing that there wasn't a more beautiful person in the world then the one standing in front of him. She smiled,

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing, here's your shirt." She smiled again,

"Thank you." He nodded and she ran her hands through her hair,

"Shoot."

"What?" She sighed,

"Nothing, I just didn't get all of the conditioner out of my hair. I have to get back in; thanks for the shirt." He smiled and nodded,

"Well, I have to get in the shower too, you know."

"I know, I'll only be a minute."

"Well, why don't we take one together?" She looked at him,

"What? We can't take a shower together; we're in your house." He laughed,

"So? My dad's at work and won't be home for hours. C'mon, think of all the benefits." She raised her eyebrow and he continued,

"Well, we'll be saving water which, in turn, helps Mother Earth and it saves time which means we'll have more time to spend together. Plus, it'll be the first time I've ever take a shower with a member of the opposite sex; well, besides my mom." She stifled a laugh,

"You took a shower with your mom?"

"Not with her, but she bathed me when I was young." She looked at him for a minute, then smiled,

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you gave some good points." She took a couple of steps closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck,

"Besides, I wanted to do it anyways." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

><p>He turned around towards the door while she cut the water back on and got in. He turned back around and undressed and pulled back the shower curtain. She was standing at the back of the shower and she smiled as he got in and kissed her.<p>

They showered together for almost forty-five minutes. He ran his hands through her hair, getting the conditioner out of it. He then started all over; shampooing her hair and rinsing it out, then conditioning it and rinsing that out. This took thirty minutes; he wanted to make sure he got all of it out of her hair.

He kissed her neck as he rinsed her hair and, when he was finally done, it was his turn. She rinsed his hair first and he kissed her neck again as she squeezed the shampoo into her hands. She smiled and turned around,

"You better stay still before I get this in your eyes." He smiled and stood still and held his head down to where she could shampoo it. While she was shampooing his head, he screamed. She jumped,

"What? What is it?"

"My eyes are burning!"

"Rinse them out!" She put both of her hands on his cheeks and picked his head up to find him busting out laughing. She scoffed when she realized he was kidding. She slapped his arm,

"Don't do that! I thought I really hurt you." He smiled, still laughing,

"No, you didn't hurt me."

She scoffed again and reached for the showerhead; it was adjustable and you could hold it. She took it down and sprayed him right in the face. He laughed and put his hands up to shield his face. She started laughing and he tried to wrestle it out of her hands.

She laughed and tightened her grip on it. He laughed and eventually got his hand on it and grabbed it out of her hands. She smiled and she creamed as he sprayed her stomach first, then her face. He laughed as she instinctively put her hands up to her face,

"Okay, okay, I give up!" She screamed. He laughed and reached over her head and hung it back up. He kept his arm above her head and moved closer to her and kissed her. She smiled and brought her hand up to his cheek and continued to kiss him back. They kissed for a while before they heard a door slam. They instantly pulled apart. Allison whispered to him,

"What was that?"

"I don't know."

"Ben?" They heard someone call out.

"It's your dad!" Allison exclaimed in a quiet voice.

"Shh! Hold on." He tiptoed out of the shower and she looked at him,

"What are you doing?"

"Hold on. Cut the water off and close the shower curtain."

"What?"

"Just do it or we're going to get caught."

She sighed but followed his instructions and turned off the water and closed the shower curtain. He picked her clothes up and put them in the dirty clothes basket. His dad called out again,

"Ben?"

"Okay, Allison, be quiet." He whispered to her. He then turned back around and yelled,

"Yeah, dad, I'm in the shower!" He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself as his dad's voice asked, form outside the door,

"Are you out?"

"Yeah, I just got out." The door opened slightly and his dad poked his head in,

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I just got out of the shower, dad. What are you doing home already? It's only 10:00."

"I decided to come on home and spend some time with you."

"Oh, cool, thank you."

"You're welcome. Where's Allison?"

"What?" He asked, getting nervous. His dad motioned over his shoulder,

"Her car is parked in the driveway; did she even leave last night?" Ben cleared his throat,

"No, we fell asleep out in the field. She's still out there, admiring the scenery. I told her I'd meet her back out there after I took a shower."

"Oh, okay. Well, I think I'll head to the Food Lion real quick and pick up some chicken for lunch." He sighed in relief,

"Okay, we'll be right here. We might still be out there but we shouldn't be too long.

"All right, I'm going to head on, okay?"

"Okay." His dad smiled and closed the door. When Ben head the front door lam, he sighed in relief,

"Okay, he's gone." Allison pulled back the curtain,

"Jeeze, I've never been so nervous in my life."

"You? I had to talk to him. Thank God we were out of chicken." She smiled and laughed and reached up and kissed him He smiled and kissed her back and when she pulled back he said,

"You're a real troublemaker, you know that?" She looked at him with a shocked expression,

"What? You're the one who came up with the idea; I told you we shouldn't have done it."

"Well you went along with it, you're just as guilty."

"Whatever." He looked at her for a minute, then smiled,

"You know you liked it." She looked at him, then shook her head,

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't." He continued to stare at her and she finally sighed and smiled,

"Okay, maybe I did." He laughed at kissed her,

"I did, too."

* * *

><p>They spent the next few hours at his house. His dad cooked chicken for lunch and they ate together and after they cuddled up on the couch and watched T.V. until she had to leave. She left at 1:00 to go get ready for her class. After Allison left, he went back inside and spent the rest of the day with his father. They watched T.V. and his father went out to get the mail when he saw the mailman pull up. He came back in and handed a letter to Ben,<p>

"Here, this is for you." He looked down at it and saw that it was from Tyler. He thanked his father and headed back to his room and sat down on his bed and opened up the envelope.

When he finished reading, he put it down, shocked. By the time Tyler and the men had gotten to the fire he had been sent to before Ben left, the fire had been put out; the people had asked them to stay though because there had been a continuous string of mysterious fires lately. Tyler and the rest of the men that went were stationed at an Air Force base right outside of the city.

When they got to the base, Tyler found out that Ben had been sent back home and had been informed that he had a letter from his girlfriend. Before he had left he had written her a letter telling her about the missions he had been going on. Tyler said he took the letter and read it in a private place like he did with all of her letters. When Tyler had finished reading her letter, he felt his heart break and got tears in his eyes. She had broken up with him.

"_I can't take it anymore, Tyler_._ I'm constantly worrying about you and my heart has reached its capacity; it can't take anymore worry. I love you so much but my heart is on the verge of breaking and I can't continue to do this. As much as it kills me, I can't be in a relationship with you anymore. Know that I love you and I feel I always will, but I'm forced to do this. If I don't, I know I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. Ever since you left, I've been a bundle of nerves and I'm constantly worrying about you and I can't do it anymore. I'm truly sorry and I hope you'll forgive me someday."_

Tyler said the letter devastated him and he didn't know if he should call her and see if he could salvage the relationship, or just leave it be. In the end, he decided not to call; she had made her decision and he doubted he could do or say anything to change her mind. He wished he had had any idea that anything was wrong but decided that it was for the best. Ben was surprised when he read this and Tyler went on to say why.

"_Now she can live her life without constantly being plagued by the idea of me not returning home. She can live peacefully and not have to worry and stress anymore. She's eighteen and she can find someone who can give her everything she wants; who can be there with her all the time and not be away for nine months at a time."_

He had been devastated and sad at first and, though he was still sad and knew it would take a while before he got over it, he came to that realization that night and knew it was best for her if they did part ways. He closed with an apology for whoever it was that died and said that he would probably be back at their original base by the time Ben got back.

Ben put the letter down; he was shocked to find out that Tyler's girlfriend had broken up with him. That was two of this friends that had lost their loved ones. He involuntarily began to look at his relationship, but forced the thought out of his mind. He thought about what Tyler had said; that it was best they part ways.

Tyler was way more mature than Ben gave him credit for. If Allison broke up with him, he would be devastated and wouldn't be able to think nearly as clear as Tyler had about the situation. He continued to think about what Tyler had said; she would be able to find someone who could give her what she wanted and could be there for her all of the time, not two weeks every nine months.

Her life would be care and stress-free and she wouldn't be constantly worrying. He sighed and lay down on his bed, his mind now jumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha god aren't they both so adorable? 3 but crazy about Tyler's girlfriend, right? Hmmm...maybe it'll come back into the story soon? Who knows! Stay tuned and review please! :)<strong>


	33. Chapter 32

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying it! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 32<strong>

He woke up the next morning at 9:30. He ate breakfast with his father and read the newspaper. After they finished, he changed into his workout clothes and jogged around the neighborhood for about an hour. When he was done jogging, he went home and took a nice, cold shower.

After he took a shower, he went to his room and put his clothes for the funeral on. He put his pants on and put a while long-sleeve shirt on before putting his black collared shirt on. It was 11:45 when he was finished getting dressed. He went and brushed his teeth and sprayed a couple of sprays of cologne on when his dad came in,

"Hey what time is Allison coming?"

"12.00; she should be here anytime now. Are you going to come with us or are you going to come later?"

"I guess I'll go with you two."

"Okay."

He went to his bedroom and got his shoes on when he saw a car pull in the driveway outside his window. He finished tying his shoes and looked out his window to see Allison step out of the car. He saw that she was wearing a pair of black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt with a black cardigan over it.

He went to the front door and yelled to his father that Allison was here. He went to the door and opened it, just as she was raising her hand to knock on it. Up close, he saw that her eyes were red and swollen; he knew she had been crying. When she saw him, she gave a fake smile. He smiled, sympathetically

"How are you doing?"

"Not good." He opened the door all of the way,

"Here, come on in."

She came inside and he closed the door. He turned around to face her and she had tears on her cheeks. He sighed and opened his arms. He held her for a while, trying to comfort her as best he could. He really didn't know what to say so he whispered how sorry he was. She eventually pulled away and said,

"I'm sorry." He shook his head and wiped her cheeks,

"Don't be sorry, I know it's going to be a hard day for you. You shouldn't hold anything in, just let it out." She nodded and he held her some more until his dad came in. Ben looked up at him and Allison pulled away and turned around to face him. His dad took a deep breath,

"I'm so sorry, honey." This made Allison's lip quiver even more and his dad opened his arms up to her as well. His dad held her for a while until she pulled away and said,

"Thank you, Mr. Carter; and thank you for coming with us so early."

"You're welcome, I'm happy to." She smiled weakly and he hugged her again before Ben butted in and said,

"Well, we better get going if you want to get there early."

* * *

><p>Ben drove his father's car, with Allison sitting right beside him, giving him directions. His dad sat in the backseat and barely said a word the entire way. Like Allison predicted, it took about thirty minutes to get to the church. When they finally got there, they pulled into the parking lot and saw her mom's car. They parked right beside it and got out.<p>

As they began to near the church, men in black were already standing outside. They gave them cards outlining how the service was going to go as they walked inside. They were about to go into the sanctuary when they saw there was a book on the wall.

They went up to the open book and Ben realized it was an attendance book. Allison signed it and Ben went up as signed it as well, followed by his father. There was only one other signature besides theirs; her mom's. When his father finished signing it, they walked into the sanctuary. Her mom was standing in front of a table with her back turned to them. She must have heard them because she turned around and when they got closer, Ben could see that she was crying.

She gave a fake smile and when Allison got close enough, her mom embraced her. They held each other for a long time; her mom started to cry as soon as she got Allison in her arms and, though Allison's back was to him, he saw her shoulders begin to shake and he knew she was crying as well.

While they were holding each other, Ben saw what Allison's mom was looking at. There were pictures of her father placed all along the table; Ben recognized most of them as the ones he had helped pick out at her mom's house. He looked at them and saw her mom and dad's wedding pictures and pictures of her dad holding Allison when she was born.

When Allison and her mom finally broke apart, her mom looked at Ben and extended her arms. He hugged her and whispered how sorry he was. She thanked him and turned to his dad and hugged him as well. While they were hugging, Ben turned around to face Allison; she was crying and her eyes were already red. He sighed and held her; he kissed her head as they heard people start to come in behind them.

As more and more people filed in, her mom stood up at the front of the sanctuary where the table with her father's pictures and casket were. Alison wanted to stand with her mom and so Ben stood with her while his dad sat in the pews.

The church was small; there were only about seven or eight rows of pews. The stage was behind the table and casket and, off to the left on the stage, was a piano; a woman had been playing it ever since they had arrived.

People began to come in and, when they arrived, they would sign the book up in the lobby and then they came in and walked down the aisle to where they were standing. By the time 1:00 came, he must have heard a hundred 'I'm so sorrys.' Allison and her mom must have hugged a hundred people and didn't seem to get tired of it.

While Allison and her mom were talking to a couple of people, Ben turned around and looked at her father's casket. It was a closed visitation and Ben stared at the closed casket, still not coming to the full realization that her dad really was gone .He stared at all of the pictures until he heard someone behind him; it was one of the two preachers that would be leading her father's service.

"If you three are ready, we can start now." Allison's mom nodded,

"Yes, I think we are ready." The preacher nodded and Allison turned to face Ben,

"Are you going to sit with your dad?"

"I was going to, but I can stay up here with you if you want me to."

"No, go sit with your dad, I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

Allison nodded as someone else entered the sanctuary. They turned to look and see who it was and saw that it was Allison's older sister. He had yet to meet her and, as she got closer, she extended her arms to her mom. They hugged and he heard Allison's sister say,

"I'm so sorry, there was a huge car accident and traffic was backed up for almost three miles." Her mom nodded and her sister turned and gave Allison a hug. Then, she seemed to notice Ben standing there.

"So, this is Ben, huh?" Ben smiled and nodded,

"Yes ma'am and you're Rachel I'm guessing?" She nodded and looked at Allison,

"Yes ma'am? I think I'm going to like him." Allison smiled; the first time she had all day. Rachel turned back to him,

"Well, come here let me hug you. It's hard to believe we haven't met until now." He smiled again and hugged her,

"I know, the only time I've seen you is when you were in the video letter Allison sent me."

"That's right! I almost forgot about that, how did you like that by the way?"

"I loved it, I told Allison to tell you thank you for me, did she?"

"Yeah she did, I just wanted to hear it from you." He smiled, liking her already,

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you."

"You, too." The preacher then came back up to them and asked,

"Are all of you ready now?" Her mom nodded,

"Yes, come on you all, let's sit down." Ben turned to Allison,

"I'm going to go sit with my dad, are you going to be okay up here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine; thank you." He nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before going back to the fourth row and sitting beside his dad.

* * *

><p>It was a very emotional service; Ben had tears in his eyes not even halfway through. He rarely cried at funerals, except for his moms of course, but there was something about the service that affected him. Maybe it was the fact that three rows ahead of him, Allison, her mom and her sister were crying their eyes out.<p>

The preacher talked about knowing Eric and marrying him and Patricia, her mom, and watching them grow with the church. Then the other preacher came up and talked about personally knowing Eric and then said,

"Even though he will be greatly missed here, I think we all know that he in a far better place. He's in heaven with our King and he's waiting for each and every one of us here. This is a time for mourning, but it should also be a time for celebration. Eric is in a perfect kingdom, much different than the sinful world we live in today. Let us pray."

After he was done praying, they sang a gospel song, then the preacher came back up and said,

"On behalf of the entire Johnson family, they all thank you for coming out and supporting them in their time of grief. At this time, the service is over and the Johnson family hopes you will come to the cemetery for the burial of Eric. We hope you'll join us, thank you all for coming."

The preacher walked off of the stage and each row of pews were dismissed individually. Allison and her family were on the first row so, as they passed by, Ben saw Allison's face for the first time since the funeral started. Her eyes were red and swollen and tears were flowing from her eyes, as well as the eyes of her mom and sister.

When they finally got the fourth pew, Ben led the row out of the pew and down the aisle back into the lobby. He saw Allison and her family outside so he headed out there with his father right behind him. Allison saw him approaching and he saw her lip start to quiver just at the sight of him. She squeezed her eyes shut and he took that as a sign to take her in his arms.

He held her and could feel her shaking as she cried. He stroked her hair and kissed her head, not knowing what to say, or even if she should say anything at all. While he was holding her, his father hugged her mom. When Ben and Allison finally broke apart, Ben hugged her mom and sister while his father hugged Allison. When Ben finished hugging her sister, he stood beside Allison and her mom asked,

"Are you two coming to the cemetery?"

"Absolutely; right, Ben?"

"Yeah, we wouldn't miss it"

"Okay, and thank you."

As more people filed out, they came and talked to her mom and well as Allison and her sister. Ben was even introduced to a couple of her relatives; grandparents and a couple of aunts and uncles. While they were all talking outside, the men came out carrying her father's casket. They put it in the back of the hearse and came over and asked if they were ready to go to the grave site. Her mom took a deep breath and nodded,

"Yes, please."

* * *

><p>It took about thirty minutes to get to the cemetery from the church. Allison rode with him and his father and they followed slowly in the funeral procession. Ben drove and they went out onto the interstate and it was all he could do to keep the cop's that was leading them blue lights in his sight.<p>

They eventually turned into the cemetery's entrance and he followed the procession of cars with hazard lights up the hill and towards the back of the cemetery. They turned a corner then another, then saw the grave site on top of a huge hill. There were cars lined up on the road up the hill and he parked on the side of the road at the base of the hill. They got out and walked up the hill to the gravesite.

They had a tent over the gravesite and two rows of seats were placed in front of the casket. They walked up the hill where Allison's mom was standing, along with many other people from the church.

When everyone had arrived and gathered at the top of the hill, the service began. The two preachers began and greeted and thanked everyone for coming out. They asked the family to sit in the two rows of seats in front of her father's casket. Ben let go of Allison's hand and she went and saw beside her mom and sister. A couple of other family members went and sat down; Eric's parents, both his brother and sister and a couple of aunts and uncles. The preacher looked when everyone was seated and said,

"There are a few more seats if anyone else wants to sit down." Allison turned around to look at Ben. She motioned over to them and mouthed,

"Come on, come sit down."

"Are you sure?" She gave a weak smile and nodded. Ben turned to face his dad,

"Come on, let's go sit down with them."

Allison and her family were sitting on the first row and Ben and his dad sat on the second row. Ben sat right behind her and held her hand as the preachers continued.

They prayed and said a couple of more words about her father until they passed out flowers to almost everyone standing around. When they passed all of them out, they recited a couple more of Eric's favorite passages from the bible and prayed again.

"At this time, we would like to ask everyone that received a flower to please come up and lay it on the casket and pay Eric your last respects."

Everyone started to form a line and came underneath the tent and placed their flowers on his casket one by one. Ben kissed Allison's hand and let it go. As they placed their flowers onto his casket, everyone hugged Allison, her mom and her sister.

When everyone had finished putting their flowers on his casket and everyone had hugged Allison, her mom and sister, the two preachers thanked everyone for coming and prayed one last time. Everyone then began to leave and Ben and his father stood up. Allison and her family stood up as well and Allison turned around to face him; the first time since he had sat down behind her.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were as red and swollen as Ben had ever seen them. She looked at him and he gave a weak smile. Her mom went and talked to the preachers and a couple of men came and lowered her father's casket into the ground. Her sister went and talked to the preachers and her mom and Allison walked over to Ben and his dad. She was still crying and, when she got close, he opened his arms and held her as she cried. He could feel her shaking and he stroked her hair and comforted her as best as he could. He held her for a while until she pulled away.

"Thank you so much for being here, Ben."

"Of course, Allison, I wouldn't be anywhere else." She bit her lip and her mom called her name. She turned around and her mom told her to come over. She turned back around to face him and he kissed her forehead,

"Go ahead, me and my dad will be waiting at the car."

After the funeral, he said good-bye to her mom and sister and waited at the car with his father. Ben sat in the driver's seat and his dad was in the backseat. While they were waiting for Allison, Ben put his hand on the steering wheel and shook his head,

"God, I hate this." His dad nodded,

"I do too; I hate it for all of them. I watched Allison throughout the service and she's not handling it very well."

"I know. I wish I could do something to help her but I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do, Ben; she's going to have to cope with it on her own terms. You can be there for her and support her, but she's going to have to deal with it herself." Ben sighed and nodded,

"Yeah, you're right."

They sat for another minute until he saw her begin to trek down the hill. When she got to the car, she got in and put her head in her hands. Ben put his arm around her and whispered,

"I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>After holding her for a minute, he turned the truck on and began their drive home. It took almost an hour to get back to his house and it was near dinnertime when they finally pulled into the driveway. They got out and his father gave Allison a hug and said how sorry he was Allison nodded and pulled away,<p>

"Thank you; and thank you so much for coming, it meant so much to me and my family."

"You're welcome; I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Your dad was a wonderful man."

"Thank you." He nodded and excused himself and went inside; giving them time alone. Ben looked at her as she crossed her arms; her eyes were still red and swollen, but she had stopped crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. She sighed,

"No, I'm not okay, Ben. God, will everyone please stop asking me if I'm okay and telling me how sorry they are? No, I'm not okay, just leave me alone." He sighed; he knew she didn't mean any of it. She was angry and upset and she had every right to be. He went over to her and put his hand on her shoulder,

"Allison-" She snatched away,

"Don't do that; don't tell me how sorry you are, I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone." He took a step towards her and she pounded on his chest with her first,

"Leave me alone!" He grabbed her wrists and put his arms around her and held her tight. She leaned into him and sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him. After holding her for a while, she pulled away and shook her head,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you; I don't mean it, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I know you're upset." She nodded and ran her hands through her hair,

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can." She sat down on the porch step,

"I've been thinking about us; we're strong, Ben. I lean on you and you're one of the people I look to help me and comfort me when I need it. Even though I'm not completely emotionally stable, I'm here for you whenever you need it and you know that."

She took a small break and he sat beside her on the porch, wondering where she was going with all of this. She sighed and got tears in her eyes and he somehow knew whatever was coming next was not good. She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks, but more quickly trickled down.

"I kept seeing you in the casket." He raised his eyebrow,

"What?"

"I tried with all of my might to force the images away but, every time I closed my eyes or looked at the casket, I saw your face lying there." Her voice cracked on the last couple of words. He was shocked to say the least and he turned her face to his,

"Listen to me, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going back this last time and that's it. Nothing's going to happen to me, alright? I'm not going to let myself die out there and leave you here." She turned away and was crying and he said,

"Look at me, Allison." She continued to cry, but she slowly turned to look at him.

"I promise, okay? I promise you." She nodded and he moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, hoping he could keep the promise he had just made.

* * *

><p>They spent the next couple of hours together; enjoying each other's company and cherishing the few hours they had left together. Allison left at around 10:00 and Ben walked her out to her car. He kissed her goodnight and Allison put her forehead to his,<p>

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Do you even know why I'm thanking you?"

"No, but when someone says thank you, you're supposed to say you're welcome." She smiled and chuckled,

"I'm thanking you for coming with me to the funeral; it meant a lot to me. And thank you for being here for me, even when I told you to leave me alone and when I pushed you away." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her,

"You're welcome; I wouldn't have been anywhere else but with you. I wouldn't have left you when you needed me." She smiled and reached up and kissed him one more time. He told her bye and asked her what time she had class tomorrow.

"Let's see, tomorrow is Thursday so I have class from two to six."

"Perfect, I have a surprise you."

"Really? Well, what is this surprise?"

"Mmm, I'm afraid I can't tell you or it wouldn't be considered a surprise." She looked at him for a minute but, when she realized he wasn't going to tell her, she shrugged her shoulders,

"Okay, I guess I can wait until morning."

"Good, I'll pick you up at eight."

"Okay." They smiled at each other and he kissed her one more time before she slipped behind the wheel of her car and backed out of his driveway.

* * *

><p>He headed inside and went to the living room where his father was asleep in the chair. Ben stretched, feeling tired himself. He happened to glance over at the table right beside his father and saw what looked to be a letter with his name on it. He went over and picked it up and saw that it did, in fact, have his name on it and that it was from the Air Force.<p>

He knew exactly what it was; it was his letter telling him how long he would be going back for. Though he knew what it was, he had no idea what the contents of it entailed. If he had to guess, probably ten or eleven months; he was only on leave for five days so it shouldn't be too long. Allison knew it would be longer than nine months, but he had assured her that it wouldn't be as long as before.

He took the letter to his room and sat down on his bed. He yawned as he opened it up and unfolded it. He began to read it and his heart stopped as he read the second line of the letter. His stomach dropped to his knees and al he could think was that there was no way this could be right; he had only been home for five days, not two weeks.

Going back for eighteen months was ridiculous; he had only been home for five days! Why had they given him the same amount of time as they gave him when he was home for two weeks? It didn't make any sense and he had seriously thought about calling and asking why. In the end, he didn't; all he could think about was how he was going to tell Allison.

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><p><strong>Sad chapter :( What's going to happen with Ben and Allison? Will she be able to handle another eighteen months? Who knows! Stay tuned and review this shizz. Please. And thank you.<strong>


	34. Chapter 33

****Here's the next chapter! :) Hope you guys like it!  
><strong>**

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><p><strong>Chapter 33<strong>

At 6:30 the next morning, his alarm clock went off. He got up and took a quick shower and put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt under his sweatshirt. His dad was still asleep and the house was dark as he went into the kitchen. He cut on the light and got all of the stuff he needed and got right to work.

He made a stack of pancakes, or at least tried to. He wasn't much of a cook; he could grill steaks but that was about it. He ended up burning the sides and bottoms of the pancakes and fried the bacon and sausage to a crisp. After wasting thirty minutes trying to cook, he gave up. He checked his wallet and saw that he had enough money to pick up breakfast somewhere.

He cleaned up his mess and, at 7:30, reached for his keys. He was a couple of minutes early when he reached her dorm but, as soon as he pulled up, he was her walk out onto her balcony with something that surprised him; in her hand was a picnic basket. He got out as she got closer. He smiled and motioned to it,

"What's that?"

"What, I can't even get a 'good morning' or 'how are you today'?" He smiled again and leaned in and kissed her,

"Good morning, how are you doing today?" She smiled,

"I'm doing well, how about you?"

"I'm good. May I ask what you're holding?"

"Well, I figured that, since we were going somewhere so early, that either you were going to try and cook or that we were going to eat somewhere. Now no offense, but we both know the only thing you can cook is steak and pop-tarts, and you don't even put the pop-tarts in the toaster, you eat them straight out of the packet." He smiled and laughed and she continued,

"And we have eaten out a lot so I figured I would cook us some breakfast and we could go eat downtown by the river if you want to." He smiled again and nodded,

"That sounds great; you got the whole day planned out, don't you?"

"Well I figured I would take charge of the day for once. You always plan everything so I figured I would give you a break." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her,

"Thank you, that sounds nice." She kissed him again and smiled,

"Okay, let's get going."

They walked to his truck and he got in the driver's seat while she put the picnic basket in the back seat. While she was putting the basket in the back, he could feel it in his pocket. He had brought the letter from the Air Force, trying to plan how he was going to tell her. Before he had time to really think about it, she got in.

They drove downtown and had breakfast at a picnic table facing the river. They sat at the picnic table and ate for almost two hours. They talked and laughed while watching the boats go by. Though he was having a wonderful time with her, he couldn't stop thinking about the letter in his pocket. He had avoided it all through breakfast, but knew he was going to have to tell her soon.

When they were nearing the end of their breakfast, Allison began to pack everything up. While she was putting everything away, he felt the letter inside of his pocket. He took a deep breath and decided it was now or never.

"I've got to tell you something."

"What is it?" She asked, still putting things away.

"I need you to look at me." This got her attention and she stopped putting things away and looked at him.

"Okay. What's wrong?" He took another deep breath, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. He handed it to her and she looked at him,

"What is this?"

"I think you know what it is."

She shook her head, but he knew she knew what it was. She took it and got tears in her eyes before even starting to read it. She knew it was bad and he guessed she could tell by his facial expression. She began reading and the tears that were in her eyes fell down her cheeks as more replaced them. She shook her head and turned away from him, still holding the letter in her hands. He put his hand on her shoulder,

"Allison."

She shook her head and continued to stay turned away from him. He sighed and said her name again. He heard her crying and she quickly turned to him and threw her arms around his neck and leaned into him, crying on his shoulder. He sighed and held her, getting tears in his own eyes, not knowing what was about to happen.

After holding her for a while he finally broke the silence,

"I'm so sorry Allison, I didn't know."

"You promised." He pulled back to look at her; her eyes were red and tears were falling down her cheeks.

"I know I did, and I'm sorry. I had no idea they were going to make me go back for another eighteen months. I've only been home for five days, not two weeks; it doesn't make any sense. I swear I didn't know; I would never promise you something if I knew it wasn't true." He continued to look at her and she finally nodded,

"I know you wouldn't." She shook her head and sighed,

"Eighteen months, Ben."

"I know, but look on the bright side; this is my last time going back. This is my last time, and then I'm out." She nodded and looked away for a minute, then looked back at him,

"I'll wait for you." He smiled and released the breath that he didn't realize he was holding and leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back and, when she pulled away, she was smiling,

"I don't have a choice, I love you too much." He smiled and kissed her again, thinking how lucky he was to have her. But Matt's voice kept ringing in the back of his head,

"Be on the lookout for those lists."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, they tried to put the letter behind them and enjoy the rest of the time they had left together. After they finished talking and eating breakfast, they walked around downtown and stopped in a couple of stores. After walking around downtown, they ended up going to the cemetery where Jeff, his mom, his grandfather and her grandmother were all buried. They stayed for a couple of hours and just visited and talked aloud to each of them.<p>

After they stayed for a while, they went back to his house where they spent the rest of the day. They snuggled up on the couch and watched T.V. and a couple of movies. Ben changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and Allison put on one of his shirts. His father was at work so they had the house to themselves.

They sat on the couch talking and kissing and watching T.V. for hours. He had his arm around her and she snuggled up to him. He smiled and kissed her head; even though they were just sitting on the couch but it was perfect, just because of the mere fact that it was Allison who was sitting beside him.

When his father got home, he joined them in the living room and watched T.V. for about thirty minutes. After they watched T.V., they had dinner together and then he and Allison went to his room. While Allison lay on his bed, Ben picked up his guitar and played a couple of songs for her. He played a couple of songs by Led Zeppelin and, when he finished, she was smiling. He smiled and put his guitar down,

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing, it's just whenever I hear Led Zeppelin, I think of you and Seth fighting."

"And that makes you smile? I have scars on my face from that, you know." She smiled again and held up her hands,

"Hey, that's not my fault; you're the one that lunged at him." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders,

"Well I didn't have a choice, did I?" She smiled and shook her head,

"I don't think so. But, no, I smile because it reminds me of what you did and how you stood up to Seth and got between me and him. It reminds me that you're one of the most important things in my life and I love you with all of my heart." He couldn't help but smile and kiss her.

They kissed for a couple of minutes and snuggled on the bed for a while. At around 10:15, she said she had to go,

"I have class at eight tomorrow morning." He nodded and walked her out to her car. He kissed her goodnight and they stood together for a minute before he brought up the subject on both of their minds.

"So, are we okay?" She smiled and kissed him,

"Yeah, we're okay."

"Good. My plane leaves at 6:30, so I think I'm going to leave here at 5 so I'll get there at 5:30."

"Okay."

"You going to come with me?"

"Of course I am what kind of question is that?" He smiled,

"Okay. Well you should get going, you've got to get up early."

She nodded and he kissed her one more time before she got in her car. When she was pulling out of the driveway, the moon happened to be in the right position, lighting up her rearview mirror. Ben saw something that made his heart drop; Allison's face was stained with tears.

* * *

><p>He spent the first part of his last day on leave with his father. They got up early and took the boat out and went fishing in the Cape Fear River. It was surprisingly warm and they fished for almost three and a half hours. At 11:30, they decided to pack up. While they were driving, Ben brought p what he saw last night.<p>

"So, I told Allison about the letter."

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. What did she say?"

"She actually took it better than I thought she would. She cried of course but she told me that she would wait for me."

"Well that's good." They were silent for a second before his dad said,

"I don't want to be a Debbie-downer, but didn't she say that being away from you for eighteen months almost killed her." Ben nodded; he had been thinking the same thing since he had first read it.

"I know, and that's what I'm worried about. It's easy for her to say she can wait for me now because I'm still here with her. But what happens when I'm not? I'm gone away. Can she still feel the same way?"

"I don't know, son. All I know is that girl loves you with all of her heart and you love her with all of yours. I've never seen two people more in love and I mean that. She did it once, Ben, I think she can do it again." Ben smiled weakly and nodded,

"I hope so. But last night I saw something that made me kind of nervous. When Allison was pulling out of the driveway, I saw her crying."

"Well, Ben, she found out that you're going back for eighteen months, you can't expect her to be all smiles, can you?" Ben nodded,

"I guess you're right. I guess I'll just have to see what happens."

When they got home, they backed the boat trailer up to the garage. They went inside and at 12:30, Ben heard a car pull into the driveway. He looked out the window and saw that it was Allison. He smiled and went to the front door and went outside. As she was getting out of the car, he walked down the porch steps and over to her. As he got closer, she smiled and he wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up off of the ground. He heard her laugh, but it sounded like a sad laugh. He held her for a minute before he put her down. He looked at her and, up close, he saw that her eyes were red.

"Are you okay?" She gave a fake smile,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Did something happen at your classes or something?"

"No, no, I'm fine, really." He nodded, not fully convinced,

"Okay." She nodded, obviously glad that he had let it go. He smiled too,

"So, what do you want to do?"

"Well, my mom called me last night and asked if we were going to see her before you left."

"Of course. Do you want to go right now?"

"Sure."

The ride there was mostly quiet; they barely said anything to each other. He knew there was something wrong with her, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it. When they got to her mom's house, she got out without saying anything to him. They got out and walked up to the door and Allison rang the doorbell. They heard footsteps behind the door and a couple of seconds later, it opened.

It was the first time Ben had seen her mom since the funeral. She looked good and you couldn't tell that she had just been to a funeral two days before. She smiled when she saw that it was Ben and Allison.

"Hi! Here, come on it, it's chilly out there."

* * *

><p>They spent a couple of hours at her mom's house, just talking and visiting with her. It turned out that she wasn't doing as well on the inside as he had thought. After they had left the gravesite that day, her mom had gone back and gathered up all of the photos of her father.<p>

She had stood in front of the table and cried for almost thirty minutes. She had finally got all of her things together and brought all of the pictures home. For the past two nights, she had cried herself to sleep and today was the first day that she had not cried since he had passed away.

"I'm just trying to go on. Eric wouldn't want me to cry everyday like I have been. He would want me to spend the rest of my life happy, wouldn't he?" Allison nodded and Ben said,

"Absolutely, he would want you to go on as best you could." Her mom nodded and looked over at Allison,

"Are you okay, honey?" Ben looked over at her and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, quietly. Ben continued to look at her and knew that something was definitely wrong.

"Well, Mrs. Johnson, I think we're going to head on."

"Okay, thank you for coming and seeing me before you left." They stood up and Ben gave her a hug.

"I don't think I'll be able to come see you off; I have a job interview at 5:45" She sighed,

"Someone has to work around here."

"It's okay, I understand." Her mom smiled and hugged him again,

"Please stay safe out there, Ben. You're like my son now." He pulled away to look at her,

"Thank you; you've become like my mom, too. You've been so welcoming and loving and you remind me so much of my mom. I wish you and Allison both could have met her. I'll stay safe; I already promised Allison that I would come home so I can't break that." Her mom smiled again and Ben turned around to look at Allison. What he saw surprised him; Allison's face was covered in tears. He raised his eyebrow,

"Allison, what's wrong?" She bit her lip and shook her head and ran to the front door and ran outside. He turned around to face her mom,

"Excuse me for a minute, Mrs. Johnson." She nodded and ushered him out. He ran outside and saw that she was leaning up against his truck, facing the road. He went over to her,

"Allison, what is it? What's wrong?" She turned to look at him, then turned back and looked at the road. He moved in front of her, blocking her view of the road so she had to look at him. He put one hand on her shoulder,

"Allison, tell me; don't push me away." She looked down for a minute as more tears fell down her cheeks. She finally looked up at him,

"I didn't want to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That I cried myself to sleep last night." He raised his eyebrow as he suddenly got nervous. She sighed and continued,

"I've tried to hold it in, it's your last day on leave; I didn't want to tell you for that exact reason. I love you and I would wait forever for you, that isn't what this is about at all. It's just- I know what happened these past eighteen months and I know how hard it was for me, and you, too, of course. It just got me to thinking and I started crying and I couldn't seem to stop. I didn't want to tell you because it's your last day and I wanted it to be a happy day for you; I guess I ruined it though, didn't I?" He shook his head and pulled her into his arms and held her,

"Of course not. Having you here with me is the most important thing and the thing I want most. I understand why you didn't want to tell me and it's okay. I know it seems like a lifetime away, but, in eighteen months, I'll be out for good." She looked up at him,

"That's another thing that I thought about; you don't know that you'll be out in eighteen months. What about those lists you told me about? You told me they could make you stay in for another four years if you're put on that list"

"I know, but we can't worry about that. This'll be the last eighteen months, okay?"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise you." She nodded and he pulled her into his arms again. He hugged and held her close for a while before her mom came outside on the porch.

"Is everything okay, Allison?" Allison pulled away and turned to look at her,

"Yeah, I'm fine, mom; sorry for running out." She shook her head and came over to them and hugged her,

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. I just wanted to see if you were okay." Allison nodded and said thank you. Her mom turned to Ben and gave him one last hug and told him goodbye one more time. He hugged her for another minute before he pulled away. Allison hugged her next and told her that she would come over after she dropped Ben off at the airport. Her mom walked back and stood on the porch and waved to them as they backed out of the driveway and drove away.

When they got back to his house, it was about 3:00. They pulled into the driveway and got out. Before they went inside, he reached for her hand. She turned around to face him and he pulled her close,

"Are you- Are you okay? I mean, nothing has changed has it?" She smiled weakly,

"Of course not; I just let my imagination get the best of me. I told you the truth when I said I didn't have a choice but to wait for you. I've been thinking about what you said; this will be the last time you go back. Unless you get put on those lists, but I don't want you to even think about that. We've done this before and I know we can do it again." He smiled and nodded,

"Thank you." She smiled too and reached up and kissed him.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the time they had left together, they stayed in his house and went to the field behind his house where they had fallen asleep a couple of days ago. They lay in the grass in each other's arms and stared both at the sky and at each other.<p>

While they were lying with each other, it felt like they were the only ones in the world; the world had somehow stopped while they were in each other's arms. They stood up and he chased her through the field for almost thirty minutes. He caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and picked her up. They both laughed and she looked down at him, both of their expressions suddenly turning serious. He put her down and they stared at each other for what seemed like forever.

"Allison, I-"

She cut him off by shaking her head and smiling. She looked back up at him and then she circled her arms around his neck, pulling him down to meet her lips. Responding to her, he put his arms around her back and pulled her in closer so he could feel her body against his chest. He kissed her passionately and held her there as she moved her lips slowly with his. They kissed for a while before she pulled away and laid her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. She sighed and whispered,

"I'm going to miss you." He ran his fingers through her hair,

"I'm going to miss you, too. I'll write even more and request to get shipped back here." She nodded and checked his watch and saw that it was 4:30. Despite how much he wanted to stay in the field with Allison, he forced himself to say,

"Hey, I think it's time to head back to the house."

* * *

><p>When they got back to the house, he went and packed his things. He dug his duffel bag out from underneath his bed and packed all of his things. He took the pictures of both he and Allison as well as the picture of him and his family and put them in his bag. When he finished packing, he got his uniform out of the closet and, reluctantly, put it on. He looked in the mirror and adjusted his collar and looked at himself. He took a deep breath and shook his head and walked back into the kitchen.<p>

Allison was setting the table for dinner and, when he came in, she looked at him. They both smiled weakly as his dad came in the room.

"Okay, are we ready to eat?"

They ate pretty quickly and, when they were finished, they put their plates in the sink. His dad broke the sudden silence,

"Well, are we ready to go?" Ben looked at Allison, but she was staring straight ahead, not wanting to meet his eyes. It was all it took for him to turn back to his father and nod his head,

"Yeah, let's go."

It took about fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the airport and it was ten minutes after five when they got there. His dad drove with Ben in the passenger seat and Allison in the back. When they pulled up, Allison got out first and Ben took a deep breath and followed her. His dad popped the trunk and Ben got his bag out and slung it over his shoulder.

He turned around to face Allison and her arms were crossed. He looked at her for a minute before reaching for her hand. She uncrossed her arms and held his hand with both of hers. His father walked behind them as they walked to the entrance. They went inside and sat down in the rocking chairs in the lobby. Ben moved his chair beside Allison's and they held hands as their time together slowly came to an end. His father sat across from them and when it was time for Ben to leave, he stood up.

"It's about that time, isn't it?" Ben nodded, reluctantly, and let go of Allison's hand and stood up.

"Stay safe for me, okay?"

"I will, dad, don't worry about me." His dad nodded and hugged him,

"I love you, son."

"I love you too. Write me and tell me what's going on and how you're doing, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

They hugged again and his dad walked away, leaving him to say goodbye to Allison. He turned around to face her and she had tears in her eyes. She stood up and they looked at each other for a minute before he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her begin to shake and he heard her start to cry. He held her tighter and he heard her say,

"I love you." He pulled away and put both of his hands on her cheeks and kissed her,

"I love you, too. You're sacrificing so much for me and I can't tell you how much that means to me. I promise, after these eighteen months are over, I'm going to come back here and be with you." He looked away for a second and swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. He looked back at her and whispered,

"And then I'm going to marry you." She looked at him,

"What?"

"When I come back, I'm going to propose to you and I'm going to marry you." She looked at him for a minute before she smiled,

"Are you serious?" He smiled and nodded,

"I'm completely serious. In eighteen months I'm going to ask you to marry me." She got the biggest smile on her face and she threw his arms around his neck. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"And in eighteen months I'm going to say yes." He smiled again and picked her up and twirled her around. She laughed and he put her down and kissed her,

"In eighteen months I'll be the happiest man alive." She smiled and kissed him again. While they were kissing, they heard a man come over the intercom and say that his flight was now boarding. He pulled away and she said,

"I'm not going to cry; I'll see you again in eighteen months and I'm going to count down the days. We've done this before and I have a feeling this time is going to go by faster than the first time. We can write to each other even more, can't we?"

"Absolutely and I'll ask to be transferred back to Edwards; they have computers so we can have video chats all the time, okay?" She nodded and he saw her get tears in her eyes. She laughed embarrassedly,

"That didn't last very long, did it?" He smiled weakly and held her again.

"I love you and I meant what I said about marrying you. I've never been so serious about anything in my life." She smiled,

"Good and I love you, too, Ben, with all of my heart."

He smiled and kissed her again before he forced himself to let her go. He bent down and picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He kissed her one final time and told her how much he loved her before he turned around and began to walk to the terminal. As he walked, he felt his heart breaking and he felt a pit in his stomach- a nervous pit. One phrase kept replaying in his head,

"Be on the lookout for those lists."

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><p><strong>So many mixed emotions! Sad that Ben's going back, happy that Allison said she would wait for him,excited because Allison said she'll marry Ben but nervous to see what's going to happen with the lists. Whooo, the next chapter should be up soon! Hope you guys liked it! Please review! :) <strong>


	35. Chapter 34

****Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy! :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 34<strong>

He stared out of the window almost the entire plane ride. He saw a fellow Air Force recruit and Ben wondered if he was hurting as much as Ben was. They showed a couple of movies but he wasn't really up for watching anything. After what had seemed like days, the plane finally began descending into Afghanistan.

The cab driver picked him up from the airport and drove him to the base. When they got there, he got his things out of the trunk and tipped the driver. He turned around to face the base as he slung his bag over his shoulder and began walking. He was surprised that Tyler wasn't out there to greet him, but figured he was either busy with something or waiting for him in his room.

He finally got to his room and opened the door. What he saw nearly shocked him; the room was almost completely empty. He understood why his side was empty; he had just gotten back, but he couldn't understand why Tyler's side of the room was empty. He put his bag down on his bed when he heard a knock on the door. He turned around and saw one of his buddies standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Ben, welcome back." He crossed the room and came over to him and extended his hand and Ben took it and smiled,

"Hey, Ethan, thank you." Ethan looked around, losing the smile on his face.,

It's a shame, isn't it?"

"What's a shame?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?" He asked, curious. Ethan sighed,

"Tyler got killed in his mission, Ben." His stomach dropped,

"What?" Ethan nodded,

"He flew into a huge cloud of smoke, the hugest cloud I've ever seen, and I don't know I guess he panicked. His plane crashed in the woods. We found him and he was dead when we got to him, Ben. There wasn't anything any of us could do."

Ben looked away and walked over to the window and looked out of it. He couldn't believe it; he had just gotten a letter from him a couple of days ago. He kept picturing Tyler in the cockpit of the plane panicking and wondering what to do. Ethan interrupted his thoughts and said,

"We found a letter in here when we came and packed up his things; it's for you."

"For me?" Ethan nodded and reached into his back pocket and pulled out the letter and handed it to him. Ben took it and Ethan said,

"Well, I have to head back to the cafeteria; welcome back and I'm sorry for the loss."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Ethan nodded and went out of the room and closed the door, leaving Ben alone. When he was gone, Ben took a deep breath and looked down at the letter, still not fully believing that Tyler was gone and hoping it was all a joke. He hoped Tyler would come busting through the door, with Ethan beside him saying that he was only kidding. But it didn't look like that was going to happen; no matter how much Ben was praying.

When he was ready, he looked back down at the envelope in his hands and took another deep breath. He tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper and began reading, imagining Tyler sitting at the desk across the room. He sighed and began reading,

_Ben,_

_You have been an excellent friend and roommate. You have made my time in the Air Force truly memorable, especially the first time we went flying together. You were my big brother and my best friend, by far. You showed me around and kept me under protection. I look up to you as a recruit, as a man, as a brother, and as a friend._

_I'm getting ready to head out on this mission and I'm kind of nervous; they say it's a huge fire. If I don't come back, I just wanted to tell you how much you've impacted my life and how much you've changed it. I told you my girlfriend broke up with me, right? I still can't believe it. I'm still devastated and I don't know when I'm ever going to recover from it._

_But I'm mentioning this because I have something to tell you. Do you remember when Matt's wife filed for divorce? And the reasons for doing so? I realized that my girlfriend broke up with me for the same exact same reasons. Matt's wife divorced him. She said it was too hard for her; she couldn't handle the stress it put on her. She said the two weeks we spend together when I'm home are the happiest and most wonderful weeks of her life but when they're over, she becomes 'severely depressed' and she can 'barely function.' Those were her own words. She's worried all of the time and she said she can't do it anymore; her mental health depended on it._

_I love her so much, Ben. I know I'm only 19 and I'm supposedly too young to know what love feels like, but I can promise you I know what it is and I love her with all of my heart. I realized after I talked to her; I called her on the phone after she sent me that letter that as much as I love her, I can't be with her. If I truly love her, I'll let her go. If being with me causes her so much pain, I wouldn't want her to be with me. I want her to be happy and obviously being with me doesn't make her happy. I want to be the guy that makes her happy, but I'm not. She deserves way more than I can give her and I'm glad she'll finally be able to find someone who can give her what she deserves. _

_You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all of this; I thought it would be obvious. I don't really have any family and you're, by far, my best friend. I needed to let all of this out and tell it to someone; you were the first person to come to mind. I hope you're doing okay and, hopefully, I'll see you when you come back. If something happens and I don't, well, just know how much you've affected my life. Thanks for being the person I told this all to; like you had a choice, right? Once again, hope you're doing all right._

_ Tyler_

* * *

><p>After reading Tyler's letter, he was speechless. Like the last letter Tyler had written to him, he was reminded of how mature Tyler actually was. To have his girlfriend break up with him and for him to think and rationalize as clear as he was, was amazing. He read the letter again, paying attention to the reasons Tyler's girlfriend broke up with him.<p>

She was severely depressed and could barely function. She was worried all the time and her mental health depended on her decision. He read what Tyler had said about them breaking up; if he truly loved her, he would let her go. He wanted her to be happy and being with him caused her so much pain that he wouldn't have wanted to be with her and keep hurting her.

Reading Tyler's letter couldn't help but make him look at his relationship with Allison, despite how much he tried not to. He wondered if she felt the same way Tyler's girlfriend and Matt's wife had felt. He prayed that his case was different; that the things they did while he was away was enough to keep Allison's worry at bay. Like Tyler, he would never want Allison to e in so much pain, just because of him.

He had to get his mind off of Tyler's letter and the fact that Tyler was gone. He put the letter on the table beside his bed and went down to the cafeteria where Ethan and a few other guys were hanging out. When they saw Ben approaching, they all hooted and hollered and a couple of them came over to him and patted him on the back. They led him to the table and Ethan stood up and patted him on the back as well.

"Ben! How are you? What did the letter say? Here, sit down; move over guys." Ben smiled and sat down and shook his head,

"Nothing, just small talk. But, hey, let's go down to the bar and have a few drinks, my treat."

Everyone hollered again and all stood up and Ben followed them outside. He didn't really want to have a drink, but he couldn't be alone. He needed to clear his mind especially after reading what he had read and the thoughts that had followed; thoughts he never wanted to think again.

* * *

><p>The Air Force planned to have a service dedicated to Tyler on October 23rd, almost a month after Ben got back. He woke up on that morning feeling sad and depressed. Nothing much had happened in the month he had been back. He had started flying and loved every second of it. He had gone to a couple of classes and continued to attend the 'church' the recruit had been having in his room.<p>

He had received a few letters from Allison since he'd been back. She had stayed busy; trying to balance her college schedule along with her social life and free time. She had begun hanging out with a group of her friends, going to out to eat and to a couple of karaoke bars downtown. She had described them as an awesome group of people and she was so happy she had met them.

She had continued to sing with her church and had actually gotten her new group of friends to come and check it out. She was pleased to announce that they were now accompanying her every week. Ben wondered what his father thought about that.

Along with letters from Allison, he received letters from his dad, too. He had not mentioned Allison's new group of friends and Ben figured he would ask him the next time he wrote to him. Unlike Allison, his father's schedule remained unchanged. He still went to work at 7:30 and got home at 4:30 every day and continued to attend church with Allison every Sunday.

Ben had also began hanging out with a new crowd; Ethan and the guys he had gone to the bar with his first night back. They were good guys; all had families and were dead set on fighting for their country and returning home to their families. Ben fit in with them pretty well and had begun hanging out with them regularly. They went down to the bar a couple of nights a week and they flew together a lot, also.

He woke up on the morning on Tyler's service and began the day by taking a jog around the base. Before he left, he heard a knock on his door. He opened it and saw Ethan standing there, with his workout clothes on.

"Hey, are you going jogging?"

"Yeah, I was just about to leave."

"You mind if I come with you?" Ben shook his head and smiled,

"No not at all, let's go."

They jogged around the base for about forty-five minutes. They talked mostly about Tyler; Ethan didn't really know him so Ben filled him in. He told him about first meeting Tyler when he had been assigned to be Tyler's 'big buddy' and show him around the base.

"I took him flying; it was the first time he had ever flown before. He told me I was like a big brother." They reached the barracks and they stopped and took a break for a minute. Ben wiped his forehead with his shirt and said,

"His, um, his letter that he wrote to me, the one you gave me when I got back, told me that he had to get out what he was feeling and that I was the person he wanted to let it all out to. His girlfriend left him and the way he was handling it and the things he was saying was amazing. It felt like I was reading something that an eighty year old man with tons of experience would say. I couldn't believe it and the things he said were so true. He tried to think of the positives of them breaking up; I couldn't believe it."

"Wow, that's amazing and how old was he?"

"19." Ethan shook his head,

"Wow, I wish I could've gotten to know him better; I only talked to him a couple of times." Ben nodded,

"Yeah he was a great guy; I just can't believe he's gone."

"I know, it's crazy how fast and quick your life can change. When my girlfriend broke up with me, it was so sudden; I never expected it." Ben looked up at him,

"You're girlfriend broke up with you while you were over here?"

"Yeah, over the phone. She called the base and I was so excited to get a phone call from her because I had not talked to her in months. I picked up the phone and said hey and I was about to ask how she was when she came out and said that it was over. I was shocked and speechless and I didn't say anything for a minute. When I was finally about to say something I said her name and she said 'I'm so sorry' and hung up the phone." Ethan shook his head and continued,

"I haven't spoken or seen her since that day." Ben shook his head,

"Wow, I didn't know that. Why did she break it off?"

"She did it for the same reasons Matt's wife divorced him; she said she couldn't do it, that it was too hard for her and too much for her to deal with. She was sad every day and just couldn't deal with it anymore." Ben glanced away for a second; that was the third person that had split up from their partner because their wife or girlfriend said she couldn't do it.

"Wow, Ethan, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, I don't really talk about it. As long as she's happy, that's all I care about. Yeah, I still love her, with all of my heart, but I'm glad we broke up. She didn't deserve to feel the way she did while she was with me." He shrugged his shoulders,

"So, that's that. I'm single and ready to mingle. Hey, let's clean up and go have a beer with a couple of the guys before Tyler's service, want to?" Ben nodded, not really listening,

"Yeah, sure, let's do it."

Ethan nodded and headed to his room. Ben followed, still trying to process what Ethan had told him. As he walked to his room, a million scenarios were going through his head, all of them containing Allison.

* * *

><p>They went to their barracks and took quick showers and Ben joined them for a couple of beers down at the bar. They stayed for about a half an hour before heading back to the base. When they got back, Ben went to his room and changed into his Air Force uniform. He et Ethan and a couple of other guys; Zack, Dylan, Aiden, and Jack out in the hallway and they headed outside.<p>

The service was nice. At the front of the auditorium was a big picture of Tyler in his Air Force uniform .Ben, Ethan, Zack, Dylan, Aiden and Jack all sat together and watched as the Sergeant talked about Tyler and shed light on what happened the day he died.

"It was a huge cloud of smoke. The forest was ablaze and there were firemen on the ground, as well, trying to put this fire out. Tyler was one of many brave men that wanted, more than anything, to put this fire out. He flew right into the cloud of smoke. He went out of sight; all we could see was the water coming down from his plane. I don't know what exactly happened and I don't think anyone ever will. We think the smoke was just too thick and he couldn't see. He panicked and," He looked away for a minute,

"He lost control of his plane and flew straight into the trees. He was so brave and was willing to do anything to put out that fire. He will be greatly missed."

The service lasted for about forty-five minutes and, at the end, two F-15's flew over in remembrance. When it was over, Ben walked back to his room. When he got there, he lied down on his bed, mentally and physically exhausted. Though he had just come from Tyler's service, he wasn't thinking about Tyler, as wrong as it sounded. He was thinking of something else, something he had never once thought about before.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he went jogging with Ethan once again. They jogged for about forty-five minutes and, when they got back to the barracks, Aiden was waiting for them. They stopped and wiped their faces with their shirts and Ethan asked,<p>

"Hey, Aiden, what's up? Aiden looked up at them and he had an almost scared look on his face,

"They've released the second list, guys."

On their way to the cafeteria, Ben had a nervous feeling in his stomach. As soon as Aiden had said that they had released the second list, Ben had immediately thought of Allison. He was praying, over and over again, that he would not see his name on that list. It had been at least three months since they had released the first list and Ben wondered why it had taken them so long to release the second one.

When they reached the cafeteria, it was packed. There was a long almost a mile long with people trying to figure if their time in the Air Force would be extended for another four years. They stood in line for almost an hour. Ben stood with a pit in his stomach, waiting nervously to see the decision the Air Force had made.

After waiting in line for nearly an hour, they finally reached the list, which was taped to the cafeteria door. Before looking at it, Ben took a deep breath and prayed one last time. He finally joined Ethan and Aiden and scanned the list. When he reached the last name on the list, he breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God. His name wasn't on the list; he had made it through. As of right now, he only had fifteen months left.

In fifteen months, he would be with Allison again. He would be holding her in his arms and waking up beside her every morning for the rest of his life. He missed her so much and decided that he would surprise her and give her a call. He left the cafeteria and walked to where the phone was. There was a line and he ended up standing in it for about twenty minutes. He figured he had had the same idea everyone else had and wanted to let his loved one know that he had survived this list.

After twenty minutes, it was finally his turn. Since there was a long line, he was only given five minutes on the phone. It was five minutes more than he had when he woke up that morning and he wouldn't give that up for anything. He dialed her cell phone number and she picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Ben?" She exclaimed. He grinned, savoring the sound of her voice; it was the first time he had heard it since he left three months ago.

"Yeah, how are you doing?" He laughed,

"God, it's so good to just hear your voice, you have no idea." She laughed,

"Yes I do, I miss you so much, Ben."

"I miss you, too. But, listen, I only have five minutes, there's a huge line for the phone. They, um, they released the second list today." It was quiet on her end and he wondered if she had heard him. She finally asked,

"What did it say?"

"Don't worry, I'm not on it; I made it through." He heard her breathe a sigh of relief, much like his first reaction.

"Thank God, I've been praying every night. I was wondering when they were going to release it. How long has it been since they released the first one? A couple of months, right?"

"Yeah, it's been about three months." He then heard someone yell behind him in line to hurry up. He turned around to look, then turned back, knowing his time was coming to a close.

"You're time is about up, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think a couple of people are getting pretty upset with me." She laughed and he wanted nothing more than to just continue talking to her, listening to her voice and catching up on everything he had missed while he was here.

"I love you so much, Allison."

"I love you, too, Ben. I should be getting your letter in the mail either today or tomorrow." He smiled,

"Good, I send it a couple of days ago." He heard someone yell to hurry up and he knew they were getting even more impatient.

"Well, I have to go. I love you so much and I'll be home soon."

"Okay, I love you too, Ben."

* * *

><p><strong>Mixed emotions again! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! :)<strong>


	36. Chapter 35

**Whoo, here's the next chapter. This is where it starts to get good/ interesting. Don't want to give too much away, so i'll just hush. And let you read. Enjoy :)**

**And a special thanks to cupcake89 for favoriting the story! You rock! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35<strong>

A month after his phone call with Allison, he was told he was being sent on a mission. There were a number of soldiers that had been severely injured in an accident. A trip mine had gone off a half of mile in front of them. They were in an open field, miles from the nearest city and one of the soldiers had radioed, asking for help.

It was Ben's job to fly one of the helicopters with the medical team ready to get the soldiers and begin working on them immediately. As soon as he got news of what had happened, he got his uniform on, ready to go. It was the first mission he had been sent on in several months. He went down to the hangar where the emergency teas and other pilots were waiting.

At the rate they flew, they reached the field where the soldiers were in about fifteen minutes. A couple of the helicopters that accompanied them landed in the field and rushed to help the soldiers. While they were helping them on the ground, Ben and the other pilots in the helicopters stayed in the air and the medical teams were getting the basket ready to lower down and raise the soldiers up to help them.

While they were waiting up in the air, Ben happened to look forward and saw two planes flying towards him that he didn't recognize. He picked up his radio to notify the other pilots, but someone was already coming on the radio,

"Hey guys, are we seeing these planes up ahead?" Ben picked up his radio

"Yeah, I just spotted them; I don't recognize either of them, do you?"

"No, I don't recognize them." Ben picked up his radio again, getting a feeling that something wasn't right.

"Guys, I have a bad feeling about this, I think we need to hurry this up and call for backup."

"Ben, chill, it's probably nothing."

"No, I have a bad feeling about this, we need to get out of the air and get these soldiers and medical teams to safety."

"Well, where do you think we're going to hide them, Ben? Huh? We're in a freaking field!"

"I don't know! We don't have time for this!" He looked up and the planes were getting closer. He shook his head and said, into the radio,

"Do what you want, but I'm helping these people." He slammed the radio back into its holster and flew the helicopter a couple of feet ahead, so the medical team and soldiers were not below him. He landed the plane and a pilot came over the radio,

"Ben, what are you doing?"

"I'm helping these people! Are you going to stay up there or are you going to get down here and help me?" He didn't wait for a response and one of the medical team members poked their head in the cockpit,

"What are we doing?"

"Get everyone out and help as many soldiers as you can; get them underneath the helicopter, okay?" He ordered. The medic nodded and Ben got out, knowing he didn't have a lot of time. He immediately began running towards the two teams of medics, with his own medic team behind him.

While he was running, he looked up in the air and began to hear the planes approaching. He began to run faster and, while he was running, he heard someone call out to him. He looked to his right and saw a soldier lying in the grass. He knelt down and, by then, his medic team had reached his side.

"Go on ahead and tell them to move underneath the helicopter, now! I'll get him, one of you help me please." The medic team rushed ahead, going to warn the others and Dustin stayed behind to help him carry the wounded soldier. Dustin knelt down with Ben and they put each of the soldier's arms around both of their necks.

By the time they had gotten to their feet, the medic team had already reached the other teas and had relayed Ben's orders to them. They immediately began helping and almost dragging the soldiers to Ben's helicopter. Ben and Dustin turned and began to run as fast as they could to the helicopter. While they were running, the two planes were very close and Ben's suspicions were confirmed when they began firing.

They didn't fire at the ground but, instead, in the air where the two helicopters had remained. They made contact with the helicopters and both immediately exploded in the air. Ben and Dustin had just reached their helicopter and they dived for protection as the helicopters in the air exploded. They put both hands over their heads and the medic teams and some of the soldiers that were still in the field screamed.

The debris immediately came raining down and they screamed and ran faster. Ben and Dustin watched and heard one of the medic's yell that they couldn't life one of the soldiers by herself. Ben looked and she was still in the middle of the field, alone. The planes had flown away, but Ben knew they would return. He turned to Dustin,

"Take care of this soldier and make sure they get underneath this helicopter."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have to go help that woman get that soldier."

"Ben, that has to be a half a mile away! The planes are going to come back!"

"I know! That's why I have to go help her!"

He didn't give Dustin a chance to respond and jumped up and ran out from underneath the helicopter, sprinting towards the medic and the soldier. He ran past the other medics and soldiers and ran as fast as he could. He dodged the debris that was raining down and he looked up and saw the planes approaching again. He ran faster and finally reached the nurse and the wounded soldier.

She was trying to put his arm around her shoulder and pick him up and Ben knelt down and got his other arm. Together, they picked him up and began running as fast as they could to the helicopter.

When they got about halfway to the helicopter, they heard the engines of the planes and, since the planes were behind them, Ben couldn't see how close they were. They ran faster and they heard the planes begin firing, this time on the ground.

As much as they tried, they couldn't outrun the planes and, as Ben stuck out his arm to protect Kendall, the nurse's back, he was clipped in the hand. He screamed, but continued to run, trying to protect Kendall and the soldier, as well as himself. The planes continued firing, but no one else was hit and they passed over once again.

They reached the helicopter where everyone was huddled underneath and they jumped as we into the group of medics and soldiers. The soldier was immediately catered to and Kendall turned to Ben and threw her arms around his neck,

"You saved my life!" She pulled away and kissed him on the cheek as he grabbed his hand and said, panting,

"It was nothing; do you want to take a look at my hand, though?"

"Of course!" She immediately ripped off a piece of her shirt and wrapped up his hand. He grit his teeth and Kendall asked,

"Where did the planes go? Are they coming back?"

"We found a radio and called for emergency backup." One of the doctors said. En continued to grit his teeth as she wrapped up his bloody hand.

"There's something still in my hand, I can feel it."

"I know it's probably shrapnel. I can't get it out right now; we don't have the proper medical supplies." They then heard engines once again. A couple of nurses put their hands over their heads, but Ben knew they were not the same planes that had just attacked them.

"Don't worry; I think our backup is here."

* * *

><p>They heard F-15's fly by and then saw emergency helicopters begin to land in the field. Everyone sighed a breath of relief and medics began to get out of the copters and rush over to them. His hand was throbbing, but he got up and began to run with many others to the medics. With his other arm, he and Kendall lifted one of the soldiers and ran with him to safety.<p>

There were a total of seven emergency helicopters, including the one Ben flew. He didn't fly it back, of course, and rode in the back of one with the soldiers and a medic team. After many attempts, they finally got all of the shrapnel out of this hand. There were four pieces and Ben had to hold a rag and squeeze it, helping him push through the pain, as they dug through his hand to remove the shrapnel. They stitched up his hand and wrapped it up with a bandage.

Since they were flying with injured persons, they had to fly slowly and it took almost forty-five minutes to reach the base. When they got there, the soldiers were airlifted to a local hospital to get proper care. Ben got out of the helicopter and thanked the medic team for helping with his hand. As he was walking, he heard someone yell his name He turned around and saw Kendall running towards him. He stopped and she slowed down as she got closer,

"Hey, I'm glad I caught you!"

"Yeah, I was just headed back to my barracks. What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you, you saved my life back in that field; me and that soldier's life." He smiled and nodded,

"You're welcome. Me getting hit in the hand was way better than you getting shot in the hand." She smiled and hugged him. He hugged her back and she pulled away and told him thank you one more time. She turned and headed back towards the hospital ward and he walked to his barracks. While he was walking down the hallway, he saw Ethan and their friend, Dylan. Dylan waved,

"Hey, Ben, how was that mission?" As they got closer, they saw that his hand was bandaged up. Ethan motioned to it,

"What happened to your hand, man?"

"I got hit. They had to dig four pieces of shrapnel out of it."

"Wow, what happened?"

"It's kind of a long story; let me change clothes and let's go grab a beer."

* * *

><p>He changed into a pair of jeans and an Air-Force t-shirt. He headed to the bar with Ethan and Dylan and, when they got there, they each ordered a beer. While they were waiting, Ben told them about what had happened. He told them what their initial mission was and what had happened when Ben and the other pilots saw the two planes.<p>

"I didn't tell anyone, but it was one of the few times where I was truly scared."

"Is it true what they say?" Dylan asked. Ben looked at him,

"Is what true?"

"That your life flashes before your eyes."

"Umm, I don't know, it didn't happen to me. I didn't think I was going to die; I promised my girlfriend, and myself even, that I wasn't going to die out here. And I don't plan to." Dylan nodded,

"I'm being sent on a mission. That's why I asked; there's people harassing and killing villagers and we leave in a couple of hours?" Ben looked at him and put his hand on his shoulder,

"You'll come back. Tell yourself you're not going to die out there and, most importantly, as the Lord to protect you."

"Ben's right. You'll be okay, Dylan, we'll be seeing you when you come back."

"Okay, and thanks guys." Ethan nodded and Ben put his arm around him,

"Alright guys, let's head back to the base; Dylan has to get ready to go."

They walked back to the barracks and Ben talked with Ethan and Dylan for nearly thirty minutes before Ethan brought up Ben's relationship.

"So, Ben, you talked to your girlfriend recently?"

"Yeah, I got a letter from her a couple of days ago."

"How about on the phone?"

"I don't know, just over a month, I think."

"What? Dude, go call her. I know you miss her like crazy." He smiled,

"Yeah, I do. Alright, I'll talk to you later."

* * *

><p>He walked down the hallway to where the phone was; no one was on it so he sat down and dialed her cell number. It took a couple of rings, but she finally picked up. When she picked up, he could immediately hear loud background noise.<p>

"Hello?" She answered, yelling. He held the phone away from his ear,

"Hey!"

"Who is this?"

"It's Ben!"

"Ben?" He smiled and she said,

"Hold on a minute, I can't hear a thing." He heard scrambling and, a few minutes later, he said, in a normal voice,

"Sorry, it was so loud in there. But hi! I'm so glad you called, I needed to hear your voice." He smiled,

"I needed to hear yours, too. Where are you at? It nearly blew my eardrum when you picked up."

"Oh, I'm just downtown with my friends, just singing a little karaoke." He smiled again,

"You should be winning that pretty easy, huh?" She laughed,

"Yeah, my friends are getting pretty jealous. I don't know why, they've heard me sing at the church millions of times. I think they're mad that people are cheering more for me than for them." He laughed and she asked,

"So, how are you? How is it over there?" He debated whether he should tell her about the mission he had gone on. He didn't want her to worry about him, especially when he was fine. He decided to go ahead and tell her, he didn't want to hide it from her and she would see the stitches in his hand eventually.

"Well, I just got back from a mission."

"Oh, what kind of mission?" Though she asked casually and calmly, he knew, and knew her so well that he could hear it in her voice, that she was concerned,

"It was a rescue mission; there were soldiers that got hurt. A trip mine went off about a half mile in front of them and they got hurt pretty bad. I flew one of the emergency helicopters with two other men and we went down there to help."

"That's wonderful! How did it go? Did you help them?"

"Yeah we helped them, but we had a few unexpected visitors show up while we were helping them."

"Who? Did something happen?" Once again, he heard the concern in her voice and he second guessed his decision to tell her. But, he had already told her this much, he might as well tell her the whole story.

"Well, a couple of other emergency helicopters landed in the field where the soldiers were and the medical teams were helping them while me and two other helicopters were up in the air. While we were in the air, I saw two planes coming towards us. I immediately got a bad feeling about them and I radioed the other pilots, but they said not to worry.

I knew something wasn't right and I landed my helicopter to go warn the medic teams on the ground and to get them to safety, along with the soldiers. The other pilots radioed me and told me that I was crazy, but I knew something was wrong. When I landed, we went to go help the other medic teams get the soldiers, and themselves, to safety.

We were all going to hide underneath my helicopter and, while me and my medic team were running, a soldier called out to me. I saw true terror in his eyes; his face and arm was bloody and I immediately bent down and picked him up while the medic team went and told the other teams to come get under the helicopter. Me and this guy Dustin helped the soldier and got to the helicopter before anyone else. By then, the two planes had reached us and they," he sighed and shook his head,

"They shot both of the helicopters down."

"Oh my goodness, do you know who they were? The two planes that shot down the helicopters, I mean."

"Not exactly, but I know that they sure didn't want us there. While the medic teams were running to the helicopters, there was a nurse still out in the middle of the field. She couldn't get one of the soldiers by herself and I immediately told Dustin that I was going to help her. He looked at me like I was crazy; the two planes had already shot down two helicopters and they were coming back for more. I couldn't leave that nurse and soldier out in that field though.

So I got up and ran out from underneath the helicopter and started running towards them. When I was about halfway to them, I could hear the plane's engines again. I ran faster and finally reached them. I knelt down and me and the nurse put both of the soldier's arms around our necks and started running back to the helicopter. While we were running, the two planes were right on top of us and I lifted my arm to protect Kendall's back and head." He shook his head and looked down at his bandaged hand,

"But, when I did, the planes began shooting and they got me in the hand."

"What? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, and everyone else is, too. Back up came and I heard that they shot down the planes. Emergency helicopters came and took care of me right away. They got the shrapnel out and stitched it right up; it's as good as new."

"Shrapnel? Oh my gosh, Ben, how bad is it? Tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth; it's fine, I'm fine, I promise. The soldiers were air-lifted to a hospital and they bandaged my hand and everyone is fine." She sighed and was quiet for a minute,

"Okay, I hope you're telling me the truth."

"I am, Allison, I promise."

"Okay." He shook his head,

"I don't understand, I told you I was fine, do you not believe me?"

"Of course I believe you, Ben. I just don't understand why you ran out into a dangerous situation where you could have gotten killed." He raised his eyebrow,

"Allison, if I wouldn't have run out there, Kendall and that soldier would be dead. Would you have wanted me to just sit under that helicopter and watch them get shot?"

"Of course not, Ben-"

"Then what should I have done?"

"Ben, calm down-"

"No, I'm not going to calm down, I mean, I'm over here trying to do my job and protect my men and I'm trying to maintain a relationship with you and protect my own ass so I can come home in one piece. I try to help and I saved almost thirty lives today and all I can get from anybody is criticism for running out when I could've gotten killed."

"Ben, what are you talking about?" No one is criticizing you, I'm so proud of you. I'm glad you helped those people, you're so brave and I couldn't imagine making the decisions you made. All I'm saying is that you don't have to be the hero all of the time, you have people here at home and soldiers there, I'm sure, that love you and want to see you make it home alive." He shook his head, suddenly not wanting to talk to her anymore,

"So I'm supposed to just watch someone die so that I can live and come home safely? Well, I'm sorry; I'm not going to do that. What about Kendall and that soldier's family? What if I had been lying in that field? Wouldn't you want someone to come out there and help me? Try looking at it through someone else's perspective."

"What is your problem, Ben? Why are you so angry and upset? I never said you shouldn't have saved them; I just told you that I was proud of you! If you would stop yelling and actually listen, then you would have heard me say that." He scoffed and shook his head,

"I'm not yelling. I don't get why I'm being criticized for saving someone's life."

"Are you even listening to me? I told you no one is criticizing you. I don't know what your problem is, but my friends are probably wondering where I am, so I better go. But know that I am proud of you; I couldn't imagine having to make those decisions, I don't have nearly the courage and strength you do. I love you and I'm sorry you're so upset. I couldn't imagine having to go through and see what you've seen. I hope you feel better and I'm glad that you called." He sighed, already regretting arguing with her,

"Thank you and I love you, too." She waited to see if he would add more but, when he didn't she sighed,

"I've got to go; bye, Ben."

"Bye."

* * *

><p>He hung up the phone, not knowing what had just happened. He had called in a good mood and was so happy to hear her voice and talk to her; the next minute, they were arguing and yelling back and forth. He didn't know why he had suddenly become so angry; she didn't really say anything that made him mad.<p>

He knew where she was coming from and he knew she wanted him to come home safely, it just suddenly made him angry and he just didn't want to talk to her anymore. He got up and walked to his room and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He got into his bed and replayed their conversation

He regretted yelling and arguing with her, especially on the phone. He rarely got to talk to her and he definitely didn't want to spend their time arguing. He figured, the next time he wrote to her, he would apologize. He eventually fell asleep, praying that him and Allison weren't drifting apart, but somehow knowing that they were.

* * *

><p>He woke up early the next morning and continued his morning routine by jogging around the base with Ethan. After they had jogged for about an hour, they headed to the weight- lifting center. They lifted weights for a couple of hours and Ben told him about his argument with Allison the night before.<p>

"I don't know why I got so angry with her, I just started yelling and everything she said made me madder." Ethan stopped lifting weights and sat up. He wiped his face with a towel and said,

"Well, look at it from her perspective; she's home probably worrying herself to death and, when she finally gets to talk to you, she finds out that you ran out into a field, where you could've gotten shot. Do you think she wants to hear that kind of stuff?"

"No, I know she doesn't, but she asked me to tell her everything. She knows how dangerous this job can be. Am I just supposed to tell her that I go to classes and jog around the base?"

"I don't know, Ben, but if she doesn't want to hear about your missions, I don't think you should tell her anymore." Ben nodded and took a sip of his water and Ethan said,

"But she loves you; if she didn't, she wouldn't be so concerned and worried about you."

They worked out for a couple of more minutes and they went back to their barracks. Ben went and took a shower and put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and heard someone knock on his door. He went and opened it and Ethan said,

"Hey, the mail is here, I'm about to walk down there, do you want to come with me?"

"Yeah, hold on a second." He went and slipped on his shoes and walked with Ethan down to where the mail carrier was passing out the letters. There were other men there, of course, waiting to see if they had a letter from their loved one.

They waited for about five minutes and the mail carrier called out Ben's name. Ben moved through the crowd of men and thanked the mailman and went back to where Ethan was. They waited to see if Ethan got a letter, but he didn't. They walked back to Ben's room and Ethan said goodnight as he walked back to his own room. Ben went in his room and saw down on his bed and looked at the envelope. It was from Allison and he opened it up and started reading it,

_Dear Ben,_

_ Let's see, it is December 1__st__, which means that we have fifteen months left. These past three months have gone by pretty quickly, for me anyways. I've still been hanging out my friends and going and singing at church like always. I've been interning at the hospital, too, of course, and I've helped quite a few patients while I've been here. I absolutely love the feeling of helping people. They come in this hospital, some fighting for their lives, and doctors and nurses, people just like us, save them. I talk to a lot of the patients and it's the best feeling in the world. I think that me, and the other nurses too, are like a little piece of home for them. We're more than just doctors and nurses and I think that when we talk to them and have a connection, I think it makes a world of difference._

_ But, enough about me, how are you doing over there? I miss you more and more every day. I've started having dreams with you in them but I don't know what they mean. I'm at church and I come out crying. I have no idea why and I just sink to the ground, outside the church, in the parking lot. There's no one out there and I'm crying and crying and I finally get up and I'm walking to my car and I see you. _

_ You're standing in your uniform and you're just standing there, looking at me. I don't know why, but I'm surprised to see you. You start to run towards me and I start crying even harder and, when we get close enough to each other, you scoop me up in your arms and I have the most overwhelming sense of peace and joy and love, all at the same time. And that's it; I've had it twice, all within the last month. Like I said, I have no idea what it means. _

_ All I know is that I think about you every day and wish that you were here with me. I love you and I hope you're keeping safe; I hate worrying about you. I'm worrying a lot and I've actually had to start taking medicine for it. You probably don't want to hear about all of that though. Well, my class is actually about to start so, until next time, I love you so much, Ben. Keep safe. _

_ Allison_

When he finished reading, he put it down. He liked the beginning, and even the middle, but it was the end that concerned him greatly. She had to start taking medicine because she was so worried. He didn't like that at all, not one bit. He put the letter down on his end table and changed into his pajamas and climbed into his bed, now very concerned.

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><p><strong>Uh oh... what's going to happen? I'll probably update before I go to bed. Because it's 10:48 and I usually don't go to bed till like...oh... 4 in the morning. shouldn't take me 5 hours to update. So see you soon!<strong>

**Btw, this is totally off subject, but since I said earlier that I picture Leighton Meester as Allison, I wanted to mention this. I watched The Roommate this morning, where Leighton Meester plays a psychotic roommate, hence the name, and let me just say, she was wonderful in that movie. If you haven't seen it, rent it/ buy it/ go to the redbox and get it. It's so good. Alright, enough ranting, I have to type the next chapter! **


	37. Chapter 36

****Whoa, two updates in one night? I'm good. And both chapters were/ are pretty long. I hope you guys are enjoying it. I don't want you guys to be mad at me for what happens in this chapter... Gah, let me just hush. Cue reading.****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 36**

The next three months were very quiet and somewhat boring. He did the same thing every day. He jogged in the morning, ate breakfast, and flew with his friends in the afternoon. After they flew, they would sit outside and watch the sun go down. He also went to different classes and went to 'church' on Sundays.

The base had recently gotten a Playstation, along with a Rockband game with all of the instruments. He had been playing that a lot with his buddies and had picked up pretty quickly on the drums. He was getting better at them and they played almost every day.

He had continued to receive letters from Allison and his father, too, of course. Nothing much had changed for either of them and they continued to do the same things they always did. He had written to Allison after their argument, telling her how sorry he was for arguing and yelling at her and how much he regretted it ever happening. She apologized also and said that she was so proud of him for what he did. She said that she was sorry for making it seem like she was only concerned for her own and his safety, and not the safety of the other people that Ben had saved. She said she loved him and was proud of what he was doing.

His dad had also written him letters; they had some new neighbors move in about a month ago. His dad had gone over and greeted them and welcomed them to the neighborhood. He had also had dinner with them a couple of nights, too. They were a middle-aged couple; the woman was 47 and the husband had just turned 50. He said that the couple was really nice people and that he had enjoyed spending time with them. They went out on their boat a lot with their older children and their family and had actually invited Ben and his father to come and go with them one day.

He had told his dad about his mission and his response was basically like Allison's. He said he was proud of him for having enough courage to run back out and save them, but told him to also be careful and safe as best he could. Ben told him that, in the three months since that mission, they were trying to figure out who was flying the planes that day. The fighter pilot had not been able to find the two planes so, therefore, they got away.

All had been quiet besides that one incident. He had been doing the same thing for the past three months and he had to admit, it was getting kind of boring. The only exciting thing was when Ethan tried to pick up one of the bartenders down at the bar; he was sadly turned down, to put it lightly. Besides going to the bar, they flew almost every afternoon and sat in the mess hall, talking about anything and everything.

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><p>He woke up on March 4th and it started out as just another morning. He got up and went jogging with Ethan and Zack and went and took a shower after. He put on his clothes and was walking down to the cafeteria when he saw Ethan running up to him. He looked scared and worried and Ben held out his hand,<p>

"Whoa, what happened?"

"Have you been to the cafeteria yet?"

"No, I was just heading down there now, why?""

"You need to come see something."

"What is it?"

"Just follow me." Ben followed him down to the cafeteria, where a huge group of men were standing.

"What's going on?" Ethan sighed and turned to face him,

"Jesus, I can't let you read this off of a cafeteria door. They released the third list, Ben." He looked away for a minute, then looked back up at him,

"Your name is on it."

That was when his heart sunk to his knees.

"What?"

"They put it up and I was going to come get you earlier, but I was already down here. So I looked and I saw your name." He looked away, his vision suddenly getting blurry. He shook his head, not believing it, and started to push through the crowd of me to see the list. He finally got to the door and immediately started looking for his name. His name was near the bottom and, when he saw it, his heart immediately dropped and he thought of Allison.

He pushed back through the crowd and headed towards his room. He heard Ethan call his name, but he didn't stop. He went back to his room and closed his door. He sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. He couldn't believe that his name was on that list.

How was he going to tell Allison? It was hard enough to go eighteen more months, now they have to wait another four years to finally be together for good. He wondered what spending time with Allison for more than two weeks felt like. In the entire time he had known her, he had never spent two weeks at a time with her. Experiencing that feeling was now four years away and the thought of it made him sick.

He was scared to tell her. He didn't know how she would react and it made him as nervous as he could be. Their relationship had enough strain on it as it was and adding this information to the emotional strain scared him. He thought about how he was going to tell her for almost thirty minutes before he heard a knock on his door.

"Who is it?" He yelled from his bed.

"It's Ethan, open the door."

"I don't want any visitors, Ethan."

"Open the door, Ben! I have to tell you something."

"I don't want to talk to anybody."

"It's about the lists!" This got his attention. He got up and opened the door and let Ethan in.

"Look, I know you're upset and you're probably mad as hell, but I have to tell you something. I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important."

"It's okay, now what is it?"

"You were just told some pretty devastating news and I know you probably don't want to hear any more bad news" Ben laughed,

"Believe me, there can't be any worse news than this. Does it involve Allison or my dad?" Ethan shook his head and Ben said,

"Then it can't be that bad; just tell me." Ethan sighed,

"When are you supposed to go on leave?"

"In a year; March 16th; why?"

"Well, add nine months to that." Ben looked up at him,

"What?"

"I just talked to someone who had been put on the last list that came out. He said that, if you get put on that list, you serve the rest of your term and then you have to serve another nine months before you go on leave. So, if you're originally supposed to go on leave on March 16th, you're actually not going to be able to go home until December 16th." Ben stood up, his anger rising more than it already had,

"They can't do that."

"Yeah they can, and they are. I'm sorry, Ben, but I figured you were probably going to call Allison and I wanted you to know before you called her." Ben shook his head,

"I don't believe this. How can they do that? Don't they know that people are devastated from being drafted for another four years? Who do they think they are? They act like people don't have any feelings. How am I going to tell Allison? She's going to be devastated and I have no idea what she's going to say."

"I know, Ben, and I'm truly sorry." Ben sighed,

"I know, and thank you. I didn't mean to yell at you either."

"It's okay, I know you're upset."

"Yeah, that's an understatement." He sighed,

"I have to talk to Allison." Ethan raised his eyebrow,

"You can't. You already used your one phone call this month, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't care; I have to talk to her." Ethan raised his hand,

"Look, I know you're upset, but you can't, Ben-"

"So what? I should tell her over a letter? How shallow is that?"

"They won't let you-"

"I don't give a damn what they say!" He yelled,

"Do you think I want to make this call? Do you think I want to tell her I won't see her for another twenty-one months? That I won't be able to hold her and kiss her for almost two years? I don't and I don't give a damn what they say. I'm going to call her."

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><p>He turned and left Ethan alone in the room. He went down the hallway to where the phone was, but a lieutenant stopped him.<p>

"Whoa, didn't I just see you use the phone a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yes, sir, but this is really important."

"Not that important; only one phone call per month." Ben took a deep breath, getting impatient,

"Look, you know that list you just put out? Yeah, I'm on it. I need to call my girlfriend and let her know, please."

"You can call her next month."

"What if I don't have until next month?" He asked, his voice getting loud,

"What if something happens and I don't see next month? Please, I'm begging you, just let me use the phone."

"No, that isn't going to happen." Ben took a deep breath again and pushed by the lieutenant and picked up the phone. The lieutenant came up behind him and grabbed his shoulder,

"Hey, I told you no!"

"Ben!" He heard Ethan yell behind him. Ben yanked his arm away and turned around to face the lieutenant,

"I don't care! Make me run 100 laps, 150 laps, 200 laps, I don't care! Just, please sir, let me make a five minute phone call, please?" The lieutenant looked at him, his nostrils flaring, and Ethan came running up,

"Excuse me, sir?" The lieutenant looked away from Ben and to Ethan,

"What?"

"Well, sir, I haven't used my phone call this month. Can I let Ben take my call?"

"What? Ethan, no-"

"Shut up, Ben." The lieutenant continued to look at Ethan, then slowly loosed his grip on Ben's arm and turned back to him and pointed at him,

"Fine. But you're going to play for your disrespect." Ben nodded,

"Yes, sir; I understand." His nostrils flared a couple of more times before he turned and walked away. Ben walked up to Ethan,

"You didn't have to do that-"

"Don't worry about it, just call her."

"Thank you." Ethan nodded and walked back down the hallway towards his room. Ben turned back towards the phone and said a small prayer before picking up the phone. He dialed her cell phone number and it rang four times before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Ben."

"Ben? Hi! How are you?" He smiled,

"I'm alright, how are you?"

"I'm great now; my day just got a lot better." He smiled, but it soon faded because he knew he was about to ruin her day, and probably more than that.

"Good."

"So, how have you been? Has anything happened over there?" He scratched his head and wished he didn't have to say what he was about to say.

"Allison, I have to tell you something; something that's going to kill me to say."

"What is it?" He heard the fear in her voice but he knew he had to tell her. He took a deep breath,

"Do you remember those lists I told you about?"

"Oh, no." He heard her whisper,

"Yes, I remember."

"They released the third one today." He heard her start to cry and he knew she knew what he was about to say. He looked down and took another deep breath,

"I was on it, Allison." She started crying harder and he looked down again and, for the first time in months, felt tears starting to form in his eyes.

"No, please, no. It's four years, isn't it?"

"Yes. I just found out thirty minutes ago; you wouldn't believe my reaction, Allison. I was so angry and upset and you were the first person I thought of. You don't know how much I didn't want to call and tell you this." She was still crying and she sniffled and said, in a voice, barely above a whisper,

"Four more years; do you know how long four years is,Ben?" He sighed,

"I know, Allison, I'm so sorry. I hate it just as much as you do. But it won't be too bad; we can write all the time, like we've been doing and things will work out, I promise."

"How can you promise me that? You don't know how I've been here. You don't know that I cry myself to sleep every night. How can you promise me all of these things when you're thousands of miles away and you have no idea what I'm going through without you?" He raised his eyebrow,

"I ask you all the time in every one of my letters and every time we talk on the phone how you're doing. You've never once mentioned that you cry to sleep every night. How am I supposed to know that? You can't get mad at me for not knowing when you don't tell me."

"Oh, come on, Ben; do you think I'm doing 'just fine' and 'happy' all of the time? 24- 7?"

"That's what you tell me, Allison. If you tell me you're doing fine, then I believe you. Why haven't you told me all of this sooner? Why'd you lie to me and say you were fine if you really weren't?" He heard her sigh,

"I couldn't tell you that, Ben. I don't want you to worry about me; you don't need that on you. You're over there fighting and I don't want you to be worrying about me while you're doing that." Despite the circumstances, he smiled weakly at her concern,

"Thank you. But, Allison, I need you to tell me these things. I love you with all of my heart, you're the most important thing in my life and I honestly and truly want to know how you are." She sighed again,

"Okay, I'll be more honest from now on. But four years, Ben; I'll be graduated from college and, hopefully, be working in the hospital. Who knows what else will be going on in four years?"

"I know." He sighed, preparing to tell her the other bad news,

"Well, since we're both being honest, I have something else to tell you. And it's not good news."

"What? More bad news? I don't think I want to hear it right now, Ben."

"No, Allison, you need to hear this."

"Ben, you just told me some pretty devastating news, I don't know if I can handle any more." He sighed,

"Allison, I won't be coming home in March."

"What?" She breathed,

"Of course you are, you have to. That's when the eighteen months are up." He looked away and ran his hands over his face and closed his eyes,

"I'm not coming home in March, they've extended my term."

"By how long?" She breathed again. He heard the pain and hurt in her voice and he knew his answer would bring her even more pain,

"Nine months." He heard her gasp and she then began to cry again, this time harder.

"Why are they doing this? Do you know how long that is? That's twenty-one months until I see you again. We will have been apart for two years and three months, Ben." He sighed and wanted nothing more than to just hold her in his arms, right then and there.

"I know that. It's going to be really hard. I love you so much and I think that, with our love as strong as it is, we can do it. We can do this, Allison, I know it." She was still crying, harder and harder by the second,

"Why is this happening? Why aren't you sad or upset about this?"

"I am sad, more than anything. I just think we should look at the positive side of things."

"The positive side? What is the positive side? There's nothing positive about this at all!"

"Whoa, why are you yelling at me? Do you think I wanted to call you and tell you all of this? Why do you think I have tears in my eyes right now? I'm not happy about this at all."

"I don't think you understand how serious this really is." He raised his eyebrow,

"I don't understand? How in the world would I not understand? I'm the one that's here! I'm living it! I'm fighting for this country while you're sitting at home."

"What is that supposed to mean? You think it's all peaches and cream over here? You're there, you're busy fighting and you don't have time to really dwell on it. I'm here, where everywhere I see reminds me of you. I'm here with your dad, who misses you like crazy. My friends are here with their boyfriends all of the time and it sickens me to know that I won't see you until when? December? I don't know if you're even alive most of the time, Ben. You think it's easy here without you? Well, I can promise you, it isn't. I'm constantly worried and plagued by the fact that you might get killed. Do you know how that feels every second of every day? I try and take my mind off of you, but I can't. I love you too much." She barely got her last couple of words out because she was crying so hard. The tears in his eyes fell down her cheeks and he looked down, seeing the lieutenant hurrying him to get off of the phone.

"I love you, too, Allison; more than you'll ever know. That's how I know we can make this work. I'm going to give this everything I have, if you will."

"I will." She squeaked out,

"I promise, Ben." The lieutenant came up to him,

"Your time is up, Carter."

"Who is that?" Allison asked.

"It's my lieutenant. He's making me get off the phone. I'm so sorry for calling you and telling you such horrible news. You have no idea how sad and hurt and angry I am. I love you so much and I promise to try as hard as I can to make this work."

"I love you, too. And I promise to try my hardest, too."

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><p>For the next three months, he was punished for disrespecting the lieutenant. He was awoken every morning at 4:00 and was forced to run for two and a half hours in the woods near the base. He threw up every morning for the first four weeks with the lieutenant yelling in his ear.<p>

For three months, Ethan laughed at him. Every time he would come in from running, with sweat pouring down his body, Ethan would look at him and couldn't help but laugh. On his last day of running, he woke up at four a.m. and dragged himself out of bed. He went and ran until 7:00 and it had, surprisingly, gotten easier. After doing it for 90 days in a row, he had become use to it. He ran for a hour each morning before this so he had some practice.

He ran on his last day and, when he was finished, the lieutenant came up to him. Ben was panting and he drank some of his water and the lieutenant put his hand on Ben's shoulder. Ben looked up at him and the lieutenant said

"Well done, Mr. Carter." Ben was surprised,

"Thank you, sir…"

"I made you run at 4:00 in the morning for three months straight. Most people would have ranted and cursed, but you never did. I admire you for that, Carter. You're a strong guy and I'll put in a good word for you." Ben scratched his head,

"Wow, thank you, sir. And, again, I'm sorry for disrespecting you that day; I was angry and upset."

"I know, I understand; this is a hard job. So, how did that conversation go with your girlfriend?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"It went okay, I guess. She was devastated, of course, and we argued a little bit, but I love her and I would do anything for her. I want to make this word and she said she does, too."

"Wow, you're lucky."

"I know."

"No, you really are, Carter." Ben looked at him and he continued,

"I can't tell you how many men lose their wives and girlfriends in this career. Though I'm a lieutenant, I have a major in psychology and I've helped many people deal with losing loved ones. Just be lucky you have a girl that's willing to make this work, because, honestly, I haven't seen one work yet."

* * *

><p>As he walked back to his room, he couldn't get what the lieutenant had said out of his mind. As he walked in, Ethan was sitting on his bed.<p>

"Hey Mr. Disrespectful, how was your last day running?"

"It was okay. The lieutenant came up to me and told me that I did a good job and that he admired me for obeying his orders and not complaining about it. We got to talking and he told me how lucky I was to have Allison as my girlfriend. He then proceeded to tell me that he's never seen a relationship in this career work." Ethan laughed,

"Are you serious? What a jerk." Ben nodded and sat down on his bed and put his arms on his knees. Ethan looked over,

"What is it?" He shook his head,

"It's nothing, I just- I don't feel lucky. I mean, I love Allison with all of my heart and I thank God that he put her in my life because I don't know where I would be without her; I wouldn't even consider it living. But I don't know, it's just lately…"

"Did something happen?" He shook his head again,

"No, nothing huge, but we've been getting into arguments all of the time. I don't know what starts half of them but nine times out ten, we're arguing. I hate it so much and we both apologize after, but it seems like the very next second we're arguing again. We're drifting apart somehow, no matter how much I don't like it, it's happening. It sickens me, but I can't do anything about it. I don't want to argue with her and I just end up apologizing just for the sake of having a moment's peace." Ethan shook his head,

"Man, Ben, I'm sorry. I know it's got to be killing you."

"Yeah, it is." He stood up and went across the room and Ethan asked,

"What is it, Ben?" He sighed and shook his head,

"It's just, I'm not as excited to talk on the phone with her as I used to be. I just hate the arguments we have, all of the time. I just sometimes think that, if we don't talk on the phone, it won't give us a chance to argue. I know that sounds bad and, believe me, just hearing her voice puts me in a better mood. But every time we talk, we argue and I'm getting tired of it. I hate feeling this way, but I can't help it. Is it wrong to feel like this?"

"No, it's not wrong. I know exactly how you feel, the exact same thing happened with me and my girlfriend. We had fights all of the time and we eventually just broke up. It's hard for a relationship to make it when all of the odds are stacked against you." Ben nodded and Ethan put his hand on Ben's shoulder,

"But I think you and Allison are the only exception. You both love each other more than I've ever seen two people be. I haven't even met Allison and I know you two are meant to be together. Don't worry; you'll make it through this." Ben nodded,

"Thank you, I appreciate that. I hope you're right."

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><p><strong>Poor Ben! And Allison! Good lord Heidi, why are you writing such sad stuff? I promise, all of this has a purpose. You'll just have to continue reading to find out! And please don't send me hate mail haha I know how into stories people can get. I promise, it serves a purpose! Please review! :)<strong>


	38. Chapter 37

**:D New chapter! I'm not giving anything away. I don't like to ruin stuff. Haha, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 37<strong>

The next couple of weeks were quiet, both in his missions and his mail. He had only gotten two short letters from Allison in two weeks. He started to worry; was she really willing to make this work? Needing to clear his head, he walked to Ethan's room. He knocked on the door and told him that he was going down to the bar, if wanted to come with me. He ended up going with a huge crowd of guys; fifteen at least. They went and had, what ended up being, more than a few beers. Ben was on his third one when he heard scrambling and yelling behind him. He turned around and saw a huge crowd of people.

He pushed through the crowd and saw that two men that he had come with were fighting with two other guys from the bar. Though Ben was only on his third one, a bunch of the guys he was with were on their seventh and eighth. Ethan was standing beside him and they watched, along with many others, as the four men fought. The two men that were with Ben were getting beat up pretty badly. Ben leaned towards Ethan,

"We have to help them."

"What? No way; I'm not getting kicked out of the Force."

"Just help me pull them off of each other." Ethan sighed,

"Why do we have to be the ones to do it?"

"Because no one else is doing anything." He didn't say anything right away, but he finally nodded,

"Fine, let's do it quick though."

Ben nodded and they pushed through the crowd, where the four men were fighting. They were all on top of each other and Ben grabbed Sam while Ethan grabbed Taylor, the two guys they had come with. Ben easily grabbed Sam, but Ethan had trouble with Taylor. When Ben grabbed Sam and pulled him up, a couple of men they came with, grabbed him and pulled him away from the fight.

Ben turned to Ethan and he was still having trouble with Taylor. They were on the ground and Taylor had the other guy in a headlock. Ethan was grabbing at Taylor's arms and Ben grabbed Taylor's hands and pulled them apart, releasing the man's head. Ethan grabbed Taylor and pulled him into the crowd, away from the fight. Ben stood up and turned just in time to hear Ethan yell his name and see the man's fist right in front of his face. He got punched right about the eye and he quickly dodged another one of the man's punches. Though he shouldn't have, Ben punched him in the face. He fell on the ground and, by then, a couple of men, probably his friends, pushed through the crowd and grabbed the man and dragged him away. Ben touched above his eye, feeling blood run down the side of his face, and wiped it off. Ethan came up behind him,

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, come on; let's get out of here before the lieutenants hear about this."

* * *

><p>They quickly went back to the base and they all headed to their rooms. Ben went and took a shower and put on his sweatpants and a t-shirt. He looked in the mirror and saw a scar above his eye, along with his other scar from his fight with Seth. Thinking of Seth reminded him of Allison. He sat own on his bed and pulled out his letter from Tyler, paying close attention to end<p>

"_In my honest opinion, I wouldn't want the person I loved to be in so much pain, just because of me."_

He read that line over and over again and read how he described what his girlfriend was going through. He sighed and put down the letter and decided to give Allison a call. He had not used his call for this month yet, so he walked to where the phone was and dialed her number. She picked up on the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Allison, it's Ben."

"Hey! Hold on a minute, let me go outside. Hold on guys, I'll be right back." He heard her say. A couple of seconds later, she said,

"Okay, that's better. So hi! How are you doing?" He smiling loving this kind of enthusiastic conversation He prayed wanting this phone call to be different; he wasn't in the mood for arguing tonight.

"I'm good; I just got back from the bar. Where are you? Did I interrupt something?" He unintentionally asked with an edge but, thankfully, she didn't notice.

"No, you didn't interrupt at all; I'm just having dinner with a couple of my friends. So, you've been drinking?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'm not drunk; I'm completely sober." She laughed,

"Okay, good."

"I had to break up a fight though, which wasn't very fun."

"What? Are you okay?" He nodded,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You shouldn't be fighting, Ben."

"I wasn't fighting-"

"You know you can get kicked out of the Air Force for that, right?" She interrupted."

"Allison, I wasn't fighting." He said, his voice rising.

"I was just giving you some advice…"

"I don't need your advice; I tried to tell you I wasn't fighting but you kept interrupting me." He snapped.

"Well, fine then. I was just trying to keep you from getting kicked out."

"You would love that, wouldn't you?"

"What is your problem, Ben? Why are you so touchy? You're probably drunk and, for all I know, you were the one fighting and someone else had to stop you."

"I was not fighting! Jesus, will you listen to me for two seconds?"

"You know what? I've got to go; my friends are waiting for me inside."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to keep them waiting." He snapped again. She sighed,

"Call me back when you're sober. Goodbye, Ben."

* * *

><p>He hung up the phone and looked down. He heard someone come up behind him and he turned around to see Ethan approaching.<p>

"Wow, I'm surprised she hasn't broken up with you already; do you always talk to her like that?"

"Shut up, Ethan."

"I mean, I'm just saying; if you talked to me like that, I wouldn't be staying with you." He stood up and walked back to his room, not responding to Ethan's comment. He went inside and kicked his end table and sat down on his bed. He heard a knock on his door and he looked and saw that his door wasn't closed. Ethan was standing in the doorway and Ben shook his head,

"Go away, Ethan, I don't want to hear any more about how bad a boyfriend I am." Ethan shook his head,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I've just never heard you argue with her before."

"Oh, we've argued," He said, standing up,

"We've argued more in the last three months than I've ever argued in my entire life. I'm so sick of it, I can't even have one single conversation with her without of us yelling and both of us arguing. I'm tired of it and I don't know what to do."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ben. Just try your best not to argue with her from now on."

"You don't think I've tried to do that? I called her and I tried to have a decent conversation with her, but she kept saying 'You shouldn't be fighting' and 'You can get kicked out for fighting.'" Ethan shrugged his shoulders,

"Well that's all true, right? You shouldn't be fighting and you can be kicked out for it."

"But I wasn't fighting and I tried to tell her that but she kept interrupting me."

"Aww, did Allison hurt little Ben's feelings? Did she interrupt him while he was trying to talk?" He shook his head,

"You know what, whatever; I'm done trying to have a conversation with you." Ethan laughed,

"Lighten up, I was kidding. But I heard your conversation with her and it sounded like you were orchestrating some of the argument as well. 'I don't need your advice' and 'we wouldn't want them to wait.' What did you expect her to say, Ben?" He sighed,

"I know, it's just sometimes when I talk to her, I just get…angry. I don't know why, I love her to death and I love talking to her, but I just get mad when I talk to her. Everything she says just makes me angry."

"Ben, that's not good."

"I know that, and I hate myself for feeling that way; I can't help it though." Ethan sat down on his bed,

"Do you want my honest opinion, Ben?"

"Sure."

"Okay, don't get mad, but I think that you and Allison need some time apart."

"What?" Ethan stood up,

"Look, just hear me out; if you're constantly arguing back and forth, you probably need some time apart."

"Time apart? We've been apart for eight freaking months. The last thing we need is time apart."

"I'm just saying-"

"Well, I'm just saying the last thing we need is time apart. I love her too much to let her go. She's sacrificed so much for me, I'm not going to break up with her" Ethan shook his head,

"Well, don't tell me that, Ben, tell her."

"I can't, I've already used my phone call for this month."

"Well, write her and apologize." He nodded,

"I will."

* * *

><p>After he talked with Ethan, he sat down on his bed and took out a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote to Allison and told her that he was, once again, sorry for yelling and arguing with her. He hated when they argued and he knew she did, too. He had wasted a phone call to her and he regretted it. He finished writing the letter and put it on the table beside his bed and climbed into the bed and turned off the light and went to sleep.<p>

He put the letter in their 'mailbox' the next day and Ethan came up to him while he was dropping it in.

"Did you write a letter to Allison?"

"Yeah, I wrote it last night."

"You apologize to her?"

"Yes, I apologized to her." Ethan nodded and they walked to the cafeteria. They got their lunch and sat down at a table and began eating. They continued to talk about Allison and Ben said,

"But there was one thing Tyler said at the end of his letter that I can't get out of my head .He said that, in his opinion, he wouldn't want the person he loved to be in so much pain, just on his behalf. He's right, he's absolutely right. I don't want Allison to be in any pain at all, but I don't know if she's feeling the same way that Tyler's girlfriend felt. Or Matt's wife. Or your old girlfriend…"

"Oh come on, Ben, you told me yourself that Allison had to start taking medicine for her nerves; that's got to tell you something, right?" Ben nodded, he thought about that all of the time. Ethan brought his hands together,

"Do you want to know what I think?"

"Sure."

"I think that you should write to her mom." Ben raised his eyebrow,

"For what?"

"Well, you can ask her how Allison's really doing. I mean, her mom has to see how she's really dealing with it all, right?" Ben nodded, liking his idea,

"Yeah, that's actually a really good idea." Ethan nodded and smiled,

"See? There you go; problem solved. Her mom won't lie to you; she'll tell you how Allison really is, just make sure to tell her not to mention anything to Allison about it." Ben nodded,

"I think I'm going to do that."

"Good, now let's finish eating so you can go write to her."

* * *

><p>After they finished eating, they threw their trash away and headed back to their rooms. When Ben got to his room, he took out another piece of paper and a pen and began writing to her mom. He started off by telling her that he hoped she was doing well and told her that he was doing well and staying safe, too.<p>

_You probably think it's strange that I'm writing to you like this, but I need a huge favor, if you would be so kind. Allison doesn't know I'm writing to you and I'm hoping that it will stay that way so, if you could, could you please not tell her that I'm writing to you?_

_I just have one question and I ask that you would tell me the honest truth, even if you think I wouldn't want to hear it. I was just wondering if you could tell me how Allison is really doing. She tells me that she's doing fine, and I want to believe her, I just don't think she's telling me the whole truth. I just want to know how she's really coping and dealing with me being here. I honestly want to know and I doubt she would tell me. So, Mrs. Johnson, you're my only hope._

_Thank you so much, I really appreciate this. Once again, I hope you're doing well and you'll tell me the honest truth. Hope to hear from you soon_

_Sincerely, _

_Ben Carter_

He put the letter in the mailbox and lazed around the base for the next couple of days; waiting on a response Not only was he awaiting a letter from Allison's mom, but also a letter from Allison. He had written her the same day as he had written her mom and was hoping he would get both letters on the same day.

* * *

><p>Five days after he wrote to both Allison and her mom, he finally received a response. He was standing by himself when he heard the mailman call out his name. He, again, pushed through the crowd and finally reached him. He held out the letter and Ben took it He looked down and saw that there was only one.<p>

"Hey, is there any more for me, or is this is?"

"Nope, that's the only one, Ben." He nodded, disappointedly,

"Okay, well thank you."

"Yep, no problem."

He went back to his room and, while he was walking, he looked down at the letter. It was from Allison's mom; he didn't know whether to be happy, nervous, or sad. He was happy because this meant that she had gotten the letter and, hopefully, told him the honest truth about how Allison was really feeling. He was nervous for the same exact reason and sad because it had now been almost two weeks since he had received a letter from Allison.

When he got to his room, he sat down on his bed and opened the letter. He took a deep breath and began reading. She began by saying that she was doing fine and was happy to hear that he was doing well, also. She said that she had spent a lot of time with Allison since he left eight months ago.

_She comes over almost every afternoon, sometimes later depending on her schedule. I'll honor your wishes and tell you the honest truth, even if I think that you're not going to like what you're about to read._

_Like I said, she comes over almost every night and we always have dinner together. I always ask her about her day and how she's feeling and she, at first, always replied with 'fine' or 'alright.' We've grown very, very close; closer than we've ever been before. Now, when I ask her, she always tells me how she's really feeling._

_With Eric gone and you away for months and months at a time we both feel that we can talk to each other about anything and everything. I tell her things that I share with no one else and, in return, she shares with me things she shares with no one else._

_Ben, I wish I could tell you that she's telling you the truth and that she really is fine but, unfortunately she isn't. I'm only telling you these things because you asked me to tell you the truth, which is what I'm doing. Honestly Ben, I have never seen her in such a state of distress and sadness. She's very depressed and you're right, she had begun taking medication for her depression. She is so proud for what you're doing, but she's constantly worried about you, Ben._

_She tries to make it seem like she's fine and happy when she's around other people, but I can see it in her eyes how much she's hurting. She's told me that she cries herself to sleep every single night worrying about you. I'm so sorry to tell you this, Ben; I know it's not what you wanted to hear._

_On the positive side of things, she's only getting closer to seeing you again. That's what I keep reminding her; every second that goes by, she's that much closer to seeing you again. I think she's getting better at handling it, but she's a long way away from it, Ben. When she's with you, I've never seen her happier but, when she's away from you, I've never seen her so sad and depressed._

_Well, I think I've told you everything there is to tell. I hope you're keeping safe and I hope I've done what you wanted me to. There's no need to write back and say thank you, I know Well, be good and be safe. Hope to see you soon!_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Patricia _

He put the letter down and put his head in his hands, with tears in his eyes. Now it was confirmed; him being here was killing Allison. He now had a decision to make; one that would change his life forever.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days were the most stressful and hardest days of his life. He had a decision to make and he couldn't make up his mind. After he debated back and forth for three days, he finally asked for Ethan's opinion. They were down at the cafeteria, eating, when Ben pulled out the letter from Allison's mom. He gave it to Ethan and Ethan looked down at it,<p>

"What's this?"

"It's the response I got from Allison's mom."

"What? You didn't tell me she wrote you back." He shrugged his shoulders,

"It's not really something to cheer about."

"Uh-oh, this must me bad." Ben nodded,

"Yeah, it is; go ahead and read it." Ethan unfolded the letter and began reading. When he was done, he put it down and sighed,

"Jesus, Ben, she laid it on pretty thick, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but I told her I wanted the complete and honest truth."

"Well, she definitely gave it to you. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I've been going back and forth for three days." Ethan looked at him for a minute before saying,

"You're thinking about breaking up with her, aren't you?" He looked away and didn't answer for a while. But, finally, he nodded and Ethan sighed,

"God, Ben, that's going to kill her."

"I don't have a choice; it's killing her to be with me. I don't want her to endure all of this pain, just for me. I love her too much to make her do that to her."

"You love her enough to let her go?" Ben looked at him, then, reluctantly, nodded,

"Yeah. She'll hurt for a little bit, but she'll be able to move on and find someone that will make her happy and be there for her. I can't do that; I can't be there for her right now. If I stay with her, she'll be in so much pain for four years, not including the pain she's already endured. If I break up with her, she'll be in pain for a short amount of time, but she'll move on. All I want is for her to be happy, and she's not happy with me. She's happy for two weeks out of the year, it seems like." He shook his head,

"I can't keep doing this to her." He looked down and Ethan shook his head,

"This is killing you, isn't it?" Ben nodded,

"More than you could ever imagine. I love her so much, Ethan. But she deserves so much more than what I can give her. She deserves to be happy and, as long as I'm in her life, she's not going to be."

"Well, it seems like you've made up your mind." He looked down, but nodded,

"I have to do it."

"How? Are you going to call her or write to her?"

"I want to do it over the phone but," He shook his head,

"I wouldn't be able to do it if I heard her voice and heard her crying."

"Well, you better go get a pen and some paper." Ben nodded,

"I guess so." Ethan shook his head,

"You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Ben looked at him and finally nodded, with tears in his eyes,

"I have to, I don't have a choice."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh no... D: Another sad chapter... and the next one's going to be sad, too. I'm sorry guys! :( <strong>


	39. Chapter 38

****Well, here it is. This is the last chapter of Part two, so next chapter begins part three. Exciting/ nerve-wracking! This chapter is really short compared to my others, but it's not boring, by any means. ****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 38**

Writing the letter to Allison was one of the hardest things he knew he would ever have to do. He ended up using ten sheets of paper, starting over nine times before writing something that sounded decent. The hard part wasn't writing the letter, but actually putting it in the mailbox and sending it. Once he dropped it in, there was no going back. He ended up holding it for two days after he had finished writing it before he finally dropped it in the mailbox. He stared at it for almost ten minutes, knowing that he was going to break Allison's heart. He finally turned and headed back to his room, with tears in his eyes.

He went to his room and locked the door, trying to disconnect with the rest of the world going on around him. He sat on his bed, imagining what Allison was going to think when she read it. He was going to break her heart; something he thought he would never do. He felt his own heart breaking as he realized that he would never see or hold Allison in his arms again.

He put his head in his hands, tears falling down his face, but he knew he had no other choice. Allison was now free; free to do whatever she wanted without him being in the back of her mind, making her depressed. She was free of the sadness and anxiety and free of him. He heard a knock on his door and heard Ethan's voice call out,

"Ben, are you in there?"

"Go away, Ethan."

"Come on, open the door."

"No, leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere until you open the door; you're going to look gay with a guy waiting outside of your bedroom." Ben sighed and reluctantly got up and opened the door.

"I'm not gay." He said, turning around and sitting down on his bed Ethan nodded and came in and closed the door,

"I know, you're too in love with Allison to be gay." Ben lied back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling while Ethan sat down in the chair across from him. He sighed,

"You did it, didn't you?" Ben didn't answer right away, but he finally nodded,

"Yeah, I just put it in the mailbox about a half hour ago." Ethan sighed and shook his head,

"Jesus, that must have been one of the hardest things you've ever done. What'd you tell her?" Ben sighed and sat up and shrugged his shoulders,

"I told her that, ever since I was little, I had been imagining what the 'perfect girl' looked like. I told her my dad used to tell me that my future wife was walking the Earth at that very moment. I knew when I saw her that she was the one I wanted to marry. From that first conversation we had at Ruby Tuesdays that day, to us standing at the airport and me telling her that I was going to marry her, I knew that the 'perfect girl' I grew up imagining was nothing compared to her.

I told her that she was the best thing that ever happened to me and that she would always have her own space in my heart. She was, and always will be, the very first girl that I ever loved and wanted to marry but," He looked down and Ethan said,

"But what?" Ben shook his head,

"But I couldn't do it anymore. I told her that she deserves so much more than what I can give her and I told her she never did anything wrong. I didn't want her to hurt any longer and I told her she needed to find someone that would give her what she wanted and what she deserved. And I asked her to not write me back." Ethan raised his eyebrow and Ben shrugged his shoulders,

"And that's it; it's sitting in the mailbox right now."

"Did you tell her that you loved her?" He didn't answer right away, but finally shook his head,

"No, I didn't." Ethan raised his eyebrow again,

"What? Why not?"

"Because if I did she would think that she was the one who did something wrong. I don't want her thinking that," He looked down again,

"It's better if she thinks I fell out of the love with her."

"Ben, she's going to hate you." He shrugged his shoulders,

"Maybe that's a good thing. If she thinks I fell out of love with her, she won't blame herself for it. That's what I want; I don't want her to think she did anything wrong."

"Wow, that's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I know." Ethan smiled,

"I've never seen someone love another person like you love Allison."

"I never thought I would love someone as much as I love Allison. But it's over and we both have to move on."

"You are one lovesick guy, do you know that?" Ben laughed sadly,

"I know."

* * *

><p>The next couple of days were hard; harder than Ben thought it would be. Every second, he imagined, would be the second that Allison would read the letter. After four days, he knew that she had already read it; he would usually get a letter back on the fourth day. But he didn't get a letter back and that was the beginning of the third week since he had received a letter from Allison.<p>

He was sitting on his bed, five days after he had written the letter when Lieutenant Randolph knocked on his door. Since his door was open, en looked up and said,

"Hey, Lieutenant, come on in, sir."

"There won't be any need for that. I was just coming to tell you that you have a phone call." Ben raised his eyebrow,

"Someone's calling for me? I didn't know people could call the base."

"They can. For a fee of course, though." Ben stood up,

"Do you know who it is?"

"No, she didn't say, but she's crying up a storm. I could barely understand what she was saying through the sobs." Ben's heart sank, knowing exactly who was on the other line. He cleared his throat,

"Where can I take the call, sir?"

"I transferred it to the phone right down the hall for you."

"Okay. Thank you, sir."

"No problem." The lieutenant turned and headed back to his office and Ben began, what seemed like, the longest walk down to the phone. When he finally reached it, he picked it up and took a deep breath and put it to his ear,

"Hello?" He didn't hear crying, but he heard Allison breathing heavily,

"Ben?" He heard the sadness in her voice, only by her simply saying his name. He closed his eyes,

"Hey, Allison." She didn't say anything right away, but, finally, after a long period of silence, she said,

"I got your letter."

"Allison-"

"Please don't do this, Ben." He looked down, wanting to hell her how much he loved her and how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he forced himself to say,

"Allison, I can't do this anymore." She started to cry,

"Did I do something wrong, Ben? I'm sorry I haven't replied back to your letters, I've been so busy and I know that's not an excuse. Listen, Ben, I love you. I love you so much, please don't do this." He shook his head, getting tears in his eyes,

"I have to; I've made my decision." She didn't say anything for the longest time but, she finally said,

"You're a coward, Ben."

"What?"

"You promised me all of these things that you had no intention of doing. What about the whole 'I'm going to marry you when I come back?' Was that just a line to try and get me to stay with you? Did you have any intention of marrying me or was it all just a lie? 'I always keep my promises, you have nothing to worry about, Allison.' What about that, Ben?" He looked down, more tears forming in his eyes because he knew what he was about to say was going to kill her, as well as him.

"I lied, Allison. I had no intention of marrying you, you're right. I said it because I wanted you to stay with me and I was willing to say anything to get you to stay." She began to cry harder,

"I don't believe that; I know you, Ben. Something happened to make you feel this way. You told me in the letter that I was the first person you ever loved and the first person that you wanted to marry. Please don't lie to me, Ben. You said that I needed to find someone that makes me happy and that will give me what I want I've already found him; I'm talking to him right now. Ben, the perfect guy I grew up imagining doesn't hold a candle to you. You told me that same exact thing; I don't understand why you're doing this if we both feel this way."

"I can't tell you, Allison. I just know that this is for the best."

"Why? How is breaking up for the best? Best for whom, Ben?" He sighed,

"It's best for both of us."

"No, it's not; it's not better for me. How do you know what's better for me, Ben. I'm sorry for fighting with you, I've regretted it so much and I feel so horrible after it happens. Please, Ben." He sighed, more tears coming in his eyes. She continued to talk and, while she was talking, he whispered,

"I love you." She stopped talking,

"What'd you say? I didn't hear you."

He shook his head and hung up the phone He put the phone on the receiver, his hand still on it, and looked down, tears now streaming down his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh noooooooooooo. I know you guys are prolly so mad at me. But, let me just say, this story is not over, by any means. We've still got a ways to go. Hope you will still stick with me as it continues! Please review! :)<strong>


	40. Chapter 39 Part 3

****So here's the first chapter of part three! Needless to say, the story will go on. I promise. I think you guys will like it... but gah i'm not giving anything away. Enjoy!****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 39**

The months and years following his break-up with Allison were some of the hardest he's ever had to face. Every mission that was available, he found himself volunteering for; no matter how hard or dangerous it seemed. He spent the rest of his twenty-seven month term in Iraq, going on more missions than he had in his entire career combined. When his two year and three month term was up, he finally returned home where he spent two weeks with his father. When he got home, he had an aching in his heart. He wouldn't be spending his two weeks on leave with Allison and he wasn't prepared for the sadness he would feel on that leave.

After he had broken up with Allison, he wrote a letter to his father telling him that he had, indeed, broken up with her. He had probably already heard it from Allison, but he wanted to make sure his father heard it from him as well. When he had gotten home from his term, his dad picked him up from the airport and they talked all the way home, Ben telling him exactly why he had broken up with her.

For the next three years, he spent his leaves with his father. He grew closer with his father, closer than he had ever been with him before. They went on fishing trips on every single one of his leaves.

His father had bought a vacation home down at Carolina Beach and when he came home on leave, they would go spend a week there. They fished everyday while they were at the beach house, either down at the beach or on the pier. The first time they fished on the pier, he was instantly reminded of his date with Allison. No matter how hard he tried to put it behind him, the memory stayed locked in his rain. He ended up reliving their whole relationship and the time spent fishing with his father was silent.

It wasn't fair to his father so, from then on, he focused on his time with his father. After they spent a week at the beach house, they would come home and, lately, had been spending a lot of time with their new neighbors. He met them on the leave after his twenty-seven month term was up. Their names were Chris and Madison Malone and, his first impression of them was that they were very nice people. They were down- to- Earth and they didn't live their life according to the fast- paced world around them. They enjoyed the little things in like and Ben and his father had barbeques with them almost every afternoon.

When his leave was up, his father took him to the airport, where they said a quick goodbye; it was the easiest good-bye he had said in nearly five years. The next nine months in the Air Force went by pretty quickly. He was sent on a couple of missions, nothing too major, where his job was only to fly a plane that had medicine and medical tools inside to some of the native villages. He did three missions like that in the nine months that he was there.

He and Ethan still remained close friends and they had actually been sent on the last mission together and Ethan had recently begun dating a girl back home.

"I don't know about this relationship with Sarah though; if you and Allison couldn't make it, I don't think the rest of us stand a chance." Ben shook his head,

"Don't let my relationship with Allison discourage you and Sarah. If you have feelings for her, go for it."

"Do you know how hypocritical you sound?" Ben looked at him and Ethan asked,

"How long has it been since you broke up with Allison?" Ben thought about it for a second, suddenly realizing how long it had actually been,

"It's been almost two years."

"And you're still thinking about her, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am."

"And you still love her right?" Ben looked down,

"Yeah, I do. But I don't see what this has to do with you and Sarah." Ethan laughed again,

"You just told me that, if I have feelings for Sarah, then I should go for it. But you just said you still have feelings for Allison, so why aren't you going for it?" Ben shook his head,

"That's totally different."

"Why?"

"Because me and Allison have been broken up for almost two years. She's gone on with her life and so have I." Ethan laughed,

"Oh, you have, have you?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Then why is it that you still have those pictures of you and her down hear the water and at the aquarium? If you moved on, shouldn't you have already gotten rid of them?" Ben looked away, realizing he was right,

"All I'm trying to say is that if you like Sarah, go for it." Ethan laughed,

"Okay, fine, I will."

* * *

><p>For the last three months of his term, he stayed on the base, working out and flying. He was getting stronger and his muscles were getting bigger. He had toned most of the fat from his stomach and his calf muscles had also started getting bigger due to the new exercise machine the base had received.<p>

He also played videogames too while he was stuck on the base. He had continued playing Rockband and had gotten really good at the drums since he had started playing ages ago. He would play with his friends and they would all compete, each taking turns on all of the instruments and trying to get the highest score. He usually won on the drums and had, recently, been getting better on the guitar. The singing was a different story though; he usually got the lowest score when it came to singing.

When they three months were finally up, he returned home. The day he left, Lieutenant Jenkins came up to him and announced that Ben wouldn't be coming back to the base when his leave was up.

"What? Why not?

"You and a group of other men are being transferred to Edwards in the U.S.; California if I'm not mistaken." Ben nodded,

"Yes sir, that's right. So, is there any particular reason I'm being transferred back?"

"They said they've been receiving some threats; nothing major, but they've got to take it seriously. It's, most likely, just someone playing games, but they need good, well-trained pilots and I told them I had the perfect one." Ben smiled and nodded,

"Thank you, sir." He nodded, too, and extended his hand,

"It was a pleasure getting to know you, Ben. You're one of the best men and one of the best pilots the Air Force has seen in a long time." Ben smiled again and shook his hand,

"Thank you, sir. And thank you for making me run those laps so long ago, it really taught me something." He laughed,

"You're welcome; you stay safe over there, okay?"

"I will, sir."

After he talked with the lieutenant, he packed up his things and walked down the hallway to Ethan's room. He knocked on the door and Ethan opened it,

"Hey, Ben, come on in."

"I can't stay for too long, I have to meet the taxi in about ten minutes. But Lieutenant Jenkins just came and told me that I was being transferred to Edwards, so I won't be coming back when my leave is up."

"Oh, that's too bad. Did he say why you were being transferred?"

"Yeah, the base has been getting some kind of threat against it and they said they need some well-trained pilots."

"Wow, that's exactly what Lieutenant Jenkins just told me about a half hour ago Edwards is in California, right?" Ben looked at him and smiled,

"Yeah, it is. You're in the group that's being transferred there?" Ethan smiled and nodded,

"Yeah I guess I'm a 'good, well-trained' pilot, too." Ben laughed and gave him a quick hug,

"Okay, so you'll already be there when my leave is up, right?"

"Yeah, we head there in a week or so, I think."

"All right, well my taxi's going to be here soon, so I'll see you at Edwards in a couple of weeks."

"Okay, stay safe, Ben."

"You, too."

* * *

><p>When his plane landed in Wilmington, he was excited. His father was picking him up and Ben was excited to see him. They had wrote letters back and forth while Ben was away and Ben used his one phone call a month to talk to him. When they landed, he got off of the plane and got his bag and walked to find his father. When he spotted him in the crowd, he smiled and walked over to him. His dad smiled and when they were close enough, Ben put down his bag and gave him a hug,<p>

"How are you doing, Ben?"

"I'm good, dad, how are you?"

"Doing good; let's go home, you want to?" Ben laughed,

"Absolutely."

They drove home and talked all of the way. Ben told him that he wouldn't be going back to Afghanistan but, in fact was being transferred to Edwards.

"So you'll be staying in the states this time, huh?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" Ben shrugged his shoulders,

"Just that I only have to go back two more times."

"Wow, that is crazy Are you ready to be out or do you think you're going to miss it?"

"Well, I'll miss flying and stuff, but I'm definitely ready to be out. I feel like I've been in forever and I'm ready to get my own place and get a job somewhere."

"That sounds good. It'll probably feel weird, though, you think?"

"Yeah, but I'm ready for it." His dad nodded as they pulled into the driveway. He cut the car off,

"Well, are you ready to pack up the fishing stuff and head to the beach house?" Ben nodded,

"Yeah, absolutely."

* * *

><p>They went inside and Ben went to his room and unpacked his things. He changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. It was mid-April and summer was definitely on its way. It was supposed to be seventy-six degrees today, which was perfect weather to go fishing. He packed some clothes into his Air Force bag and grabbed his sunglasses and went outside to help his dad get the fishing stuff together.<p>

His dad was in the shed and Ben joined him and helped him get the fishing poles and the tackle box. He also grabbed his surf board; he hadn't surfed in over three years. They loaded up Ben's truck and headed towards Carolina Beach.

Their beach house was a two-bedroom, one bathroom house. It had a full kitchen with barstools along with a little kitchen table. It was decorated with bright, blue furniture, all beach-themed of course, with beach chairs, umbrellas and starfish imprinted on it.

When they got there, they brought all of their fishing gear in the house. Ben went and put his bag in his room and started unpacking. He was putting his clothes in the drawer when he saw a picture on top of his dresser. He looked at it closer and it immediately made his heart start to ache. It was a picture of him and Allison down by the water, kissing. He stared at it for a few minutes, a rush of memories coming back to him.

He couldn't believe that it had been nearly two years since he had broken up with her. It seemed like just yesterday that he was talking to her on the phone, breaking up with her. Though he had tried, and somewhat had, moved on, he still thought about her. He wondered if she had done what she had set out to do; graduate from college and get a job, nursing. He knew that she was passionate about it and he had wanted nothing but the best for her. She deserved it and he wanted her to be happy.

He often wondered if she had moved on and met someone new. Like he had told her in the letter, she deserved someone that would make her happy. He also wondered if she still thought about him, even after two years.

He continued to look at the picture, almost feeling the touch of her lips on his. Even after two years, he was still in love with her, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. He wondered what the picture was doing here at the beach house. He picked it up and walked down the hallway to his dad's room. His dad was unpacking his things and Ben knocked on the door. His dad turned around,

"Oh, hey, Ben, what's up?"

"Nothing, just," He scratched his head,

"Why is there a picture of me and Allison in my room?" His dad looked at him for a second and Ben handed him the picture.

"Oh, this picture? I found it when I was dusting your room at the house."

"How? It was under my bed." His dad raised his eyebrow,

"You knew it was there?"

"Well, yeah, dad, I mean, I knew it was in my room."

"Why do you still have a picture of you and Allison kissing underneath your bed?"

"Because I wasn't just going to throw it away. Even though we've broken up, I'm not going to throw a picture of her away."

"Even after two years? Do you think she's kept any pictures of you? If she's met someone, do you think she's going to have pictures of you around where her boyfriend, or even husband, could see them?" Ben looked down; he had not even considered the fact that she could be married.

"I'm sorry, Ben, I know you don't want to hear that. But I didn't know that you knew the picture was under your bed. I figured you didn't know it was there and, like you, I didn't want to throw it away, so I just brought it here." Ben nodded and his dad said,

"Look, I can put it somewhere so you won't have to see if it you want me to."

"No, it's fine. Just because we broke up doesn't mean I can't have a picture of her." His dad nodded and said,

"You know we haven't really talked about Allison."

"What's there to talk about?" His dad looked at him for a minute,

"You still love her, don't you?" Ben sighed,

"Dad, can we not talk about this, please?"

"Fine; you ready to go fishing?" He nodded, his mind suddenly somewhere else,

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, two years. Crazy stuff, right? Well, next update should be soon! Please review!<strong>


	41. Chapter 40

****New chapterrr. yayayayayay! My last two chapters were kinda short, so I made this one long! I love longer chapters, don't y'all? More bang fo yo buck! Haha, enjoy!****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 40**

They fished every afternoon for the entire week. The day after they arrived, Ben took his surfboard and went surfing the entire afternoon. He was a little rusty at first and he wiped out more than a few times, but he quickly got the hang of it again. He surfed every day after that and, by the time the week was over, he was severely sunburnt. His back and face, especially, were on fire. The top of his shoulders were red, but not as red as his back and face.

When Friday came, they packed up all of their things and put them in the truck. While his dad was putting all of the fishing gear in the truck, Ben was packing all of his clothes into his bag. While he was packing, he looked on top of his dresser and saw the picture of him and Allison that he had found a week before.

He looked at it for a minute, trying to decide if he was going to leave it here or take it with him. He stared at the picture and finally put it in his bag. He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed outside to meet his dad. He had just finished loading the truck and he put the tailgate up. Ben put his bag in the back seat and they both got in and headed home. While they were driving, his dad said,

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Chris and Madison invited us to go out on the boat with them tomorrow, do you want to go?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"They said their daughter, Lilah, is coming, too. She's 24 and has a degree in law; she's single, too." Ben shook his head,

"Dad, don't even think about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to be set up with some girl I don't even know." His dad shook his head,

"I'm not setting you up with her. Even if I was, what would be wrong with that? You're single and so is she."

"I'm not looking for a relationship."

"Why not? It's been two years, Ben."

"This has nothing to do with Allison."

"Oh, really? What did you do with that picture of you and her kissing? Did you leave it at the beach house?" He didn't answer right away and his dad said,

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

'You know what? Can you just shut up, please?"

"Hey, don't talk to me like that." Ben sighed,

"I'm just not looking to date anyone right now, okay?"

"Fine, but we're still going tomorrow."

They drove for about five more minutes in silence until his dad said,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried to-"

"It's fine, dad." He interrupted.

"No, it's not. I know you still love Allison, Ben. Hell, I still love her, too; she was one of the nicest girls I ever met. She was the perfect one for you, too."

"Yeah thanks dad, I know."

"She was, Ben. She was willing to stay with you, too. But I understand why you broke it off with her."

"You're about the only one who does." He shook his head,

"I don't think so. I think Allison understands why you did it."

"I seriously doubt it. I know she doesn't understand; she probably hates me." They pulled into the driveway and Ben turned off the truck. His dad shrugged his shoulders,

"That's not what she told me." Ben's heart stopped,

"What?"

"Here, come with me."

They went inside and Ben basically pushed his father through the house. They went to his dad's room and he grabbed a letter off of his drawer and handed it to Ben. He raised his eyebrow,

"Why did she write you a letter?"

"Go ahead, read it." Ben sat down on his dad's bed, anxious to read it. He opened it up and began reading,

_Dear Mr. Carter,_

_ How are you doing? It's been a while since I've talked to you since you- know- what happened. I told you he hung up on me, didn't I? I was so angry but, more than that, I was hurt. We were together for over three years. It seemed like so much longer than that, I feel like I've known him all of my life; like I've loved him all of my life. It hurt me that he felt he couldn't tell me what I did wrong. I'll always wonder and I don't know if I'll ever get an answer. _

_ I still love your son, Mr. Carter. I know that's crazy to say after everything that's happened, but I do. I love him with all of my heart. He told me that I deserved so much more than what he could give me. That made me so sad, Mr. Carter. He gave me all I ever wanted and he never knew and will never know that. I never told him and I made him feel like he wasn't enough. You don't know how hard I cried when I read that _

_ He told me that I deserved someone who would make me happy and be there for me. Did he not know that he was all of that to me? That he made me happy? Happier than I had ever been in my entire life? I feel so bad, Mr. Carter. I never told him and he went our whole relationship not knowing how much he meant to me. _

_ I love your son, Mr. Carter and I think I always will. I don't blame him for breaking up with me; I was a horrible girlfriend and it's him who deserves more than me. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you again soon, Mr. Carter. Hope you're doing well._

_ Love,_

_ Allison_

When Ben finished reading, he put the letter down and put his head in his hands, tears starting to fall from his eyes. He felt his dad put his hand on his back and Ben stood up.

"How long has it been since she wrote that?" His dad sighed,

"Ben-"

"How long?"

"I got it about a month after you broke up with her. I know what you're thinking; it's not your fault." Ben shook his head,

"I didn't want this; this is the exact opposite of what I wanted! She thinks she did everything wrong when she didn't do anything; she did everything right." He shook his head,

"Breaking up with her made her think that she was the one who did something wrong." He shook his head again,

"I have to go talk to her." His dad raised his eyebrow,

"What? Ben, no, it's been two years."

"I don't care! I don't want her thinking that she was the one who did something wrong."

"Ben, she wrote that letter two years ago! She was heartbroken. Of course she's going to think that she did something wrong! If someone breaks up with you, you look at yourself and the mistakes you've made. You don't look at the other person and say 'Oh, it must've been something they did, not me.' She was heartbroken, Ben. It's been two years since she wrote that. Look here, after the sadness comes the angriness. After you get hurt, the pain turns to anger. I'm not saying she's mad at you ball all I'm saying it that you don't need to call her." Ben didn't say anything right away, but he finally sighed and nodded,

"You're right she's probably happy with someone else. Me calling her would only make things worse." His dad sighed,

"It wouldn't make it worse but I don't see what difference it could make. It's been too long, Ben." He nodded and picked up the letter and handed it to him. His dad shook his head,

"You keep it."

"Why would I keep it? It's a letter to you."

"Yeah, about you. Just keep it; put it with the rest of calling her would only make things worse." His dad sighed,

"It wouldn't make it worse but I don't see what difference it could make. It's been too long, Ben." He nodded and picked up the letter and handed it to him. His dad shook his head,

"You keep it."

"Why would I keep it? It's a letter to you."

"Yeah, about you. Just keep it; put it with the rest of our letters from her." He nodded and picked it up and was heading to his room when he realized something. He turned back around to face him,

"Wait, when did you say you got this?"

"About a month after you broke up with her, why?"

"And you didn't tell me? You finally decide to tell me two years after the fact?"

"Well, Ben, it's really not any of your business."

'None of my business? My girlfriend is none of my business? Why'd you tell me now, then?" His dad shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know, what does it matter anyway?"

"What does it matter? She still felt like she did something wrong, which is exactly what I didn't want to happen! It broke my heart to break up with her; I did it so she can be happy to know, for sure, that she did absolutely nothing wrong. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ben, it's not my fault you broke up with her. It was your decision; not mine. If Allison writes to me, it's none of your business." He nodded,

"You're right, it's not your fault; I made the decision and I was the one who broke up with her. But if you would've told me, I could've called her. I could've told her that I was sorry and stupid for ever breaking up with her and that everything I said was a lie. I could've told her that I loved her and that I wanted, more than anything, to be with her and to marry her. I'm not blaming you, this is all of my fault; but you could've helped me save my relationship." He took the letter out of his pocket and put it back on his dad's bed and went to his room.

* * *

><p>He woke up the next morning at 7:00. It took him a couple of minutes to wake up and he went and quickly ate a pop-tart and skimmed the newspaper. His father was nowhere to be seen and, frankly Ben didn't care. He was still angry with his father for not telling him about the letter. He didn't want to argue anymore, so he dropped it; for now.<p>

After he finished eating, he went and put on his bathing suit and a t-shirt; he had almost forgotten they were going on the boat with his neighbors. After he finished, he went in the living room and looked out of the window; his dad was standing on the front porch and Ben sighed and went out there.

He went out on the front porch and stood with his father and told him good morning before his dad went inside to grab his keys. Ben looked next door and saw a young girl, mid-20's maybe, standing on their front porch. He figured it was probably Lilah, Chris and Madison's daughter. Ben couldn't really get a good look at her and he wondered what was taking his dad so long.

She looked lonely, from what he could tell, and he decided to walk over there He walked down the porch steps and through the low-cut bushes to their yard. She must have seen him coming, because she motioned towards him,

"I would be careful if I were you, those bushes have thorns in them." Ben nodded and walked up the porch steps where she was standing,

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind next time I think about cutting through." She laughed and held out her hand,

"I'm Lilah." He smiled and shook her hand,

"I'm Ben, the next door neighbor."

"Do you always cut through my parent's bushes or do you go around like a normal person?"

"I'm sorry." She smiled and waved it off,

"It's okay, I never liked those bushes anyway." He smiled and nodded,

"So, are you going out on the boat today?"

"Yep, I'm in the need of a tan, I'm getting a little white."

"You're not white at all; you've got more of a tan than I do." She laughed,

"Whatever, you're way darker than me." He smiled and looked at her; she was pretty; no doubt about it. She had long brown hair and despite what she said, her skin was a deep brown. She had on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top with sunglasses on top of her head. She had her bathing suit on underneath her clothes and Ben realized he was staring. Thankfully, she didn't notice.

"So, why haven't I met you before? I've been over here tons of times and I've never seen you."

"I'm in the Air Force, so I'm away for nine months at a time." She raised her eyebrow,

"Wow, who would want to do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and was immediately reminded of the first time Allison found out that he was in the Air Force. It was a completely different response than Lilah's; while Lilah had looked down on his job, Allison had thanked him for serving his country.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that about your job; you obviously love doing it."

"It's okay. It can get boring and old at times."

* * *

><p>His dad then came out on their porch at the same time Chris and Madison did. They got all of their stuff together and they got on their way. Chris and Madison sat up front and Ben, Lilah and his father sat in the back. Lilah was between him and his father and they were pretty closer; closer than Ben would have liked. Chris and Madison talked mostly to his father, mostly about neighborhood things, and he and Lilah sat, feeling a little awkward.<p>

They rode in silence until they reached the boat ramp. Chris backed he ruck up to the ramp and he got out, as well as Ben and his dad. They helped Chris unload the boat and got it into the water. Ben hopped into the boat and kept it from drifting away. Chris and his father went and got all of the stuff out of the truck and Madison and Lilah got out. Madison helped get some of the stuff out of the truck and Lilah came and joined him in the boat.

He helped her into it and she sat back of the boat on the little sofa. Chris, Madison and his father got into the boat and put everything down and Chris started the boat.

"Can I do anything, Chris? Do you need any help?"

"Nope, we're just going to head out and maybe do some tubing if you want to. Y'all just sit down and relax, there's a radio in the bag." Ben nodded and his dad and Madison sat down on the other sofa on the side of the boat and he sat down beside Lilah. She smiled,

"It's so beautiful today." He nodded and slipped his shirt and sandals off. He caught Lilah staring and she smiled. He smiled too and he grabbed his bag and took out his sunscreen and sat back down. She took off her shorts and her shirt and put her sunglasses on and sat back down beside him. He put sunscreen on his face and shoulders and he heard Lilah say,

"Wow, your back is blood red. How long have you been outside?"

"I've been at beach all week."

"You know here's such a thing as sunscreen, right?" He smiled,

"I know and I used a lot of it, but I was out in the water and I didn't have time to put some on."

"Yeah, and you paid for it, didn't you?" He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, my face and back are really burnt."

"Well, you definitely need some sunscreen on your back. Do you want me to help you?"

He didn't want her to; plain and simple. Like he had told his father, he wasn't ready to start anything with another girl, no matter who it was. Every time he looked at Lilah, he saw Allison. He knew it was wrong and it wasn't fair to Lilah, but he couldn't help it. No matter how much he didn't want her to, his back was already burnt and he couldn't afford for it to get even more burnt.

"Sure, if you want to." She laughed,

"If I want to? I'm helping you out and keeping you from being in anymore pain."

"Fine, will you, please, put sunscreen on my back so I won't get burnt?"

"Sure, I'll help you out; here, turn around."

He, reluctantly, turned around on the seat and she squeezed some sunscreen into her hands. He felt her put her hands on his back and begin to spread the sunscreen all over. When she was done, he turned back around,

"Thank you." She smiled,

"You're welcome."

They rode out for about ten more minutes, over a bunch of waves before Chris asked if they wanted to start tubing. His dad and Madison said no but Ben said,

"Yeah, I'll do it." Lilah nodded,

"Me, too." Chris cut the engine and got the tube ready. He was placing it in the water when Ben felt Lilah grab his hand. He turned and looked down at her hand in his.

"Ben, I've never done this before, will you go with me?" He looked up at her and she looked almost scared,

"Lilah I-"

"Please, Ben? I know I'm going to fall off and I'm going to be scared as I don't know what when I wipe out and I'm left out there alone. I know the boat's going to come right back, but I'm scared of the ocean." He sighed; he really didn't want to give Lilah the wrong idea, but she genuinely looked scared.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

When the tube was ready, Ben went to the side of the bat and climbed on the tube. He lied down on his stomach and, when it stopped moving, Lilah came to the side of the boat and Ben held out his hand and helped her onto the tube. She slowly stepped over the side of the boat and onto the tube and lied down beside him. Chris went and started the engine and Ben looked at her,

"All right, there are two straps on each side; you put your hands on both sides and hold on tight. I'll put my arms on top of yours so you'll have a better chance of staying on. I'll put my hands on the other straps beside yours."

"Okay. If I fall off do you promise you'll let go?" As soon as she asked, it immediately made him think of Allison. He looked away from her, remembering all of the times Allison asked him if he promised.

"Ben?" He looked up at her, not realizing that he hadn't answered her question. He nodded,

"Yeah, I promise."

Ben gave Chris the thumbs up and he mashed the accelerator and they were off. He saw Lilah tighten her grip and they rode for a while, getting Lilah used to it before she gave her dad the thumbs up to go faster. She tightened her grip, if that was even possible, and Ben even had to tighten his own grip.

The boat generated a lot of waves and, at the speed they were going, the tube started jumping up in the air. He heard Lilah start to scream and he laughed and screamed along with her. Her screams slowly turned into laughs and they laughed and screamed for a few minutes before he heard her yell,

"Ben, I'm slipping!"

"Hold on, don't let go!" He put a thumbs down to go slower, but Chris didn't see him.

"I'm slipping, Ben!"

He looked at her hand and she only had three fingers holding on. He went to grab her hand, but they hit a huge wave and she let go. She flipped twice in the water and he heard her yell his name. He kept his promise to her and immediately let go. He flipped once in the water and felt himself being pushed underwater as the waves passed over him. He immediately swam to the surface and swam over to Lilah. She was flailing her arms and when he reached her, she threw her arms around his neck,

"You let go!" He pulled away to look at her, but she kept her arms around his neck. She finally loosened her grip and he said,

"I told you I would, didn't I?"

* * *

><p>They stayed in the water for about forty-five more minutes. Ben and Lilah got on the tube a couple of more times and Lilah wiped out each time. Like he promised, he let go on each occasion. After the fifth time, Lilah decided she was done and Ben went by himself. With Lilah not with him, he was able to do more tricks and was able to go faster. He had been tubing many times before and he had learned a lot of tricks when he had gone with his friends back in high school.<p>

After he was done tubing, they went back to shore and went and had the lunch that Madison had packed for them. Chris, Madison and his father ate at one of the picnic tables and Ben and Lilah ate at the shore, on the sand.

Ben had gotten his plate first and had sat down on the sand when Lilah came up and sat down beside him. He sighed; he liked Lilah, she was nice and sweet but he knew that he couldn't start a relationship with her, nor, quite frankly, did he want to. It wasn't Lilah, he just didn't want a relationship at all, no matter who it was. While he was thinking, Lilah said,

"So, I saw you when you were tubing; all of those tricks were pretty impressive."

"Thanks. I've been tubing since I was in high school. I used to go every weekend and I guess you could say I got pretty good at it." She smiled and laughed and they took a few bites of their food before she asked,

"With moves like those you probably have a girlfriend, right?" He got a sudden lump in his throat,

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you're a really sweet guy who obviously keeps his promises. You have a great sense of humor, not to mention you're really hot."

"You think so?" She laughed,

"Umm, yeah. You've got to have a girlfriend." He smiled and shook his head,

"I don't, but thank you for the compliments. They really boosted my self-esteem." She laughed,

"How can you not have a girlfriend?"

He shrugged his shoulders and went to look at her, but her face was already in front of his. Before he knew it, she had kissed him and was proceeding to kiss him again. She kissed him once more and, while her lips were on his, he pushed her away,

"Lilah, I can't."

"Why not? You don't have a girlfriend and I don't have a boyfriend." He sighed and stood up,

"Well just because I don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean I'm not in love with someone else."

She raised her eyebrow and he bent down and picked up his plate and went to throw it away. He walked to the trashcan and she followed him,

"You're in love?"

"Lilah-"

"Just answer the question." He sighed and nodded,

"Yeah, I'm in love." She smiled but he heard the sadness in her voice as she asked

"What's her name?" He looked away,

"Allison."

"Do you want to tell me the story?" He looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders,

"Well you said you don't have a girlfriend, but yet you're in love. Something must have happened." He nodded,

"Yeah, something definitely happened."

"Why don't you tell me? We can go sit at the shore and I can try and help you out."

* * *

><p>They went and sat down at the shore and he began the story, starting the day he first talked to Allison at Ruby Tuesdays up until the day he hung up on her, three years later.<p>

"You hung up on her?"

"I had to."

"Why?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"I wanted her to be mad at me. I wanted her to be mad at me because I knew that I deserved it. I guess if she was mad at me, I felt like I had gotten what I deserved." Lilah put her hand on his knee,

"You don't deserve anything like that You love her so much that you were willing to end your relationship and what made you happy so she wouldn't be depressed anymore. In my opinion, that's the sweetest thing someone could do; when you're willing to give up what you want and your entire relationship for her hand her happiness."

"But I hurt her; you didn't hear the pain and sadness in her voice."

"Do you regret your decision?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know. Yesterday my dad showed me a letter Allison wrote to him a month after we broke up. I wanted her to think that she didn't do anything wrong. That's why I hung up on her; I wanted her to be mad at me so she wouldn't think that she did anything wrong or that it was her fault." He sighed,

"But in the letter, she said how hurt she was that I hung up on her; that she thought I couldn't tell her what she did wrong. She said she still loved me, after everything that happened. She said that I told her that she deserved someone who could make her happy and could give her what she wanted, which I did tell her that, but she said that I was the one who did all of that; I was the one who made her happy.

When I told her that she deserved more than what I could give her, she cried. She feels like she never told me enough and that I went our whole relationship not knowing how much I meant to her. I knew, Lilah, I don't know why she's blaming herself. She ended the letter saying that she didn't blame me for breaking up with her and that she was a horrible girlfriend. She said it's me who deserves more than her." He sighed,

"So, I ended up doing exactly what I didn't want to do; I made her question herself and she thinks she's the one who did something wrong. On one end, I am glad that I ended it, if only knowing that she found someone that can be with her and not make her depressed and be there for her. But, on the other end, I'm crushed because she thinks everything was her fault." She sighed,

"I don't know, Ben. All I can say is that has to be one of the sweetest things I've ever heard and you don't need to be mad at yourself. You didn't break up with her because you don't love her anymore, you broke up with her because you love her enough to let her go, sacrificing your feelings and what you want for her happiness. I envy you, Ben." He smiled,

"Thank you, whether you believe it or not, that really helped me." She smled,

"You're welcome, I'm glad."

They sat together on the shore for a few more minutes until they heard her father call out,

"Hey, you two, are you ready to go?" They turned around to see them and Ben nodded,

"Yeah, we're ready when y'all are!"

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><p><strong>Hmmm, see? This story is still interesting! I think. Haha but what do y'all think of Lilah? I thought she was kinda pushy...I mean she just met Ben that morning and she was already kissing him... I don't know, I guess i'm more of an Allison person than a Lilah person. But that's just me. Haha, hope you liked it! Please review!<strong>


	42. Chapter 41

****New chapter again! These updates are really comin' fast y'all. I'm trying to get this story done before I go back to school on the 25th. Because I know i'm gonna be super super busy, especially being a senior and doing senior project and all of that. sigh. But this is my last year of high school! So excited for that. And I think the good thing about this story is that all I have to do is transfer from my notebook to Word because I've already written everything out for the story. Like it's complete. All I have to do is type it up! Which i'm doing fairly quickly. Anyway, this A/N is huge, so i'll just let you read :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 41<strong>

They loaded everything back into the boat and Ben pushed it off of the sand and into the water, and then jumped onboard. Chris started the boat and Ben and Lilah sat at the back of the boat and talked all the way back to the marina. Lilah asked him some more questions about Allison and he, basically, told her everything he knew.

When they got back to the marina, Lilah and Madison got all of the bags out of the boat and Ben and his father helped Chris load the boat onto the trailer. It took a few minutes but they finally got everything loaded and into the truck. They all got in and Chris started the truck and they headed back to their house.

They talked a lot on the way back; Lilah asked him a bunch of questions about the Air Force and he told her all about it. He told her about all of the missions he had been on and about the base he had been on in Afghanistan. She asked him a couple of questions about his missions and he went into detail about a few of his recent ones. They talked the whole way home and, once they turned into the driveway, they got out of the truck and Ben and his father helped them take all of the stuff inside.

When they finished, they walked out on the front porch and Ben and his father both thanked Chris and Madison for inviting them. Chris waved it off,

"It's no problem; anytime. We'll have to do it again, soon." Ben nodded and Lilah pulled him to the side while her parents were talking to his father. She smiled,

"Thank you for being so nice today; I had a lot of fun. And thank you for teaching me how to tube." He smiled,

"You're welcome I had fun, too."

"I'm sorry for kissing you; I would never have done it if I had known about Allison and how much you love her. You were just so nice and funny; I felt really attracted to you. I don't blame Allison for pleading with you to change your mind." He smiled and gave her a hug,

"You're pretty nice, too. You're going to make a great girlfriend and wife one day."

"Thank you." He gave Lilah another quick hug and thanked Chris and Madison again for inviting them and they headed back across the yard to their house.

His father unlocked the door and they went inside. His dad hung up the keys and turned around to face Ben, smiling. Ben raised his eyebrow,

"What are you smiling at?"

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"C'mon Ben, about you and Lilah." Ben shook his head,

"It was nothing and, in case you've forgotten, I'm still mad at you."

"What for?"

"You hid the letter you got from Allison from me for two years, dad."

"I didn't hide it from you; I just didn't tell you about it." Ben nodded,

"Exactly, that's hiding it."

"No, hiding it would be putting it in a place where you couldn't see or find it; it's been on top of my drawer ever since I got it."

"I don't ever go in there, how would I see it?"

"I don't know, but It's not my fault you don't go in there."

"Whatever, but anyways, nothing happened with Lilah." His dad sat down on the couch,

"But you spent the entire time with her."

"So? That doesn't mean anything happened." His dad didn't say anything right away, but he finally asked,

"Are you sure?" The way his dad asked, Ben knew that he had seen Lilah kiss him. He sighed,

"You saw her miss me, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Chris and Madison didn't see it I don't think, but I happened to see her scoot towards you out of the corner of my eye and then I saw her kiss you." He nodded and then sighed and saw town in the chair across from him,

"It's just, when she kissed me, I didn't feel anything. There wasn't any sparks or any connection."

"Unlike your first kiss with Allison." Ben looked at him,

"What?"

"You're comparing the kiss with Lilah to your first kiss with Allison, right? You felt all of those things with Allison but not with Lilah." Ben laughed and nodded,

"How do you know that?"

"Because Allison was the first girl you ever loved, and you're never going to forget her. You never forget your first love; luckily, my first love was your mom. But I've talked to many guys I work with that are happily married and have kids but still remember their first loves. Allison wasn't just the first girl you loved, she was the girl that you wanted to marry and the one you could see yourself with for the rest of your life, right?" He nodded and his father continued,

"You won't feel exactly the same way about another girl like you felt with Allison But, now that you've been in love, you know what love feels like and another girl is going to come along who's going to capture your heart."

"But what if I don't want to be with another person?"

"Why did you break up with Allison then?" He sighed,

"Don't ask me that, you know why."

"Ben, you honestly thought that she wouldn't think she did something wrong? C'mon, you've got to know better."

"Well, I guess I'm just stupid then because no, I didn't think she would question herself." He sighed shook his head,

"I just wanted her to be happy; I didn't want to cause her any more pain. I guess I was wrong for wanting that for her.' His dad shook his head,

"You weren't wrong for wanting that-"

"Well then what was I supposed to do? I was over there for twenty-seven months; I couldn't be here no matter how much I wanted to. I felt like that was my only choice. What would you have done? If you knew the girl you loved was home crying herself to sleep every night and having to take medication for her depression? That's the last thing I wanted for her and to know that I was the person doing that to her and the one making her feel that way? I couldn't keep doing that to her." His dad sighed and nodded,

"I know you couldn't and I honestly don't know what I would have done. I'm glad I wasn't the one who had to make that decision. How old were you when you made that decision? You're 27 now and that was two years ago so 25?" Ben nodded and his dad continued,

"You're very mature for your age, Ben. No twenty-five year old should have to make a life-changing decision like the one you made."

"Yeah, it's over though. I can't change anything; I guess I have to move on."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the week, they basically stayed at the house. They went over to Chris and Madison's a couple of nights during the week for dinner and, the day before Ben was scheduled to go back, he and his father cooked dinner for Chris, Madison and Lilah. Ben didn't know Lilah was coming until a couple of hours before they arrived. When his father told him,<p>

"Lilah's coming too?"

"Yeah, Madison called me a couple of hours ago and asked if it was okay. Why? Is there a problem?" He shook his head and his dad asked,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, I was just asking."

"Okay, well they will be here in a couple of hours."

A couple of hours later, Ben went out on the back and started the grill. He let it hear up before he went inside and got the steaks. He put them on the grill and stood by it, keeping an eye on them until he heard the doorbell ring. A couple of minutes later, he heard the sliding glass door behind him open. He turned around and Lilah asked,

"Are you grilling those steaks?" He shook his head and answered, sarcastically,

"No, I'm boiling them." She laughed,

"Shut up. Are they almost done? I'm starving."

"Hey, don't rush the chef." She held up her hands,

"Sorry, I was just asking a question." He smiled,

"They'll be ready in a couple of minutes."

"Good."

"Are your parents with you?"

"Yeah, they're inside talking with your dad." He nodded and, a couple of minutes later, he said,

"Okay, they're ready. Can you go get the plate from inside?"

"Sure." She disappeared inside and, a couple of seconds later, reemerged with the plate in her hands. She handed it to him and he thanked her. She smiled,

"You're welcome."

He used the tongs to pick the steaks up and, when he got all of them off of the grill, he put the top back on it and turned it off. He followed Lilah inside where his dad was setting the table. Chris and Madison were sitting in the living room and, when he came inside, Madison said hello. He put the plate of steaks on the counter and turned in her direction,

"Hey Mrs. Malone, how are you?"

"I'm wonderful, how are you?"

"I'm doing good. Well, are y'all hungry? There's plenty of food."

They all made their plates and Ben ended up sitting beside Madison and Lilah. They ate and talked for almost three hours. They asked him when he was supposed to head back and he said,

"Tomorrow morning, actually."

"Wow, what time?" Madison asked.

"My plane leaves at 9:00."

"Well, I hope you stay safe." Chris said.

"Me, too." Lilah added. He smiled,

"Thank you. I'm sure I will."

They finished eating and talking and they put all of their plates in the sink and headed out on to the front porch. Madison gave him a hug and said,

"It was fun spending time with you these last couple of days. We'll have o do it again when you come back."

"Absolutely, and thank you again for taking us out on the boat and for cooking us dinner those two nights." She smiled,

"You're welcome, be careful, okay?" He nodded and Chris stuck out his hand He took it and said,

"Thank you, too, Mr. Malone for everything."

"You're very welcome. Come back safely, okay?"

"I will, sir" Ben turned to Lilah and she smiled,

"My turn, huh?" He smiled and gave her a hug. While he was hugging her, he heard her say,

"Don't do anything stupid, okay? I need my tubing buddy back next summer." He smiled,

"I'll miss you, too, Lilah." She smiled and pulled back to look at him,

"Just be careful and come back soon, alright?"

"I will."

He gave her another hug and his dad told them all good-bye and they walked off of the porch back across the yard.

For the rest of the night, Ben packed all of his things, yet again, and he helped his dad wash the dishes and clean everything up. When he was finished, he told his father goodnight and headed to bed.

* * *

><p>His plane was scheduled to leave at 9:00 the next morning. He woke up at 7 and took a long shower and packed up his shampoo and razors. He had started growing some facial hair; it had brown before, of course, but he had always shaved it off. He had begun to let it grow, not a full grown beard, but a little stubble, he decided, looked pretty good. He finished packing all of his things and went in the kitchen where his dad was reading the paper.<p>

"Good morning."

"Morning, dad."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good." He answered as he got a pop-tart out of the cabinet.

"You're eating a pop-tart on your last day on leave?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with pop-tarts?"

"Nothing, it's not a meal I would pick for my last day, though." He laughed,

"'Last day?' I'll be home in nine months; this won't be the last meal I eat at home." His dad nodded,

"You're right."

He ate his pop-tart in front of the T.V. and, when he was finished, he put his bowl in the sink and looked down at his watch and saw that it was 7:45. He sighed and went and knocked on his dad's bedroom door. He opened it and Ben said,

"Hey, I think it's about time to head on."

"Okay, are you all packed?"

"Yeah, it's in my room."

"Well, go get it and meet me outside." He nodded and went to his room and grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He took another last took at his room and went outside, where his dad was waiting.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the airport. When they got there, they found a parking spot and his dad parked the car. He popped the trunk and Ben got out and got his bag from the trunk and threw it over his shoulder. They went inside and sat down in the lobby for about fifteen minutes. While they were sitting, his dad said,

"Well, after this, we'll only have to sit here one more time."

"Yeah, I'm ready, too. I'm ready to be out."

"I'm sure you are, it feels like you've been in for forever."

"I know, I'm tired of sitting in these chairs." His dad smiled and, over the intercom, a woman announced that his plane to California was now boarding.

"It feels weird not going back to Afghanistan." He said, standing up. His dad stood up, too,

"Well, at least your plane ride won't be as long this time."

"Yeah, that's probably the best thing about it." His dad nodded and Ben put his bag down and gave him a hug.

"You be safe, okay?"

"I will, I've stayed safe before, haven't I?"

"Yeah, but just be careful and look out for yourself." He nodded and gave him another hug,

"Love you, dad."

"Love you too, Ben."

He bent down and picked up his bag and turned walked to the counter and let the woman check his ticket. She gave it back to him and he turned back around and waved to his dad before turning around and going through the terminal.

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><p><strong>So, yes this was a short chapter compared to my others. But, I really think you're going to like the next few. And they'll be longer! Promise! Hope you enjoyed it! And I wouldn't be a proper author if I didn't ask you to review. So please review! :D<strong>


	43. Chapter 42

****Next chapter, whoop whoop! Don't want to give too much away. So I won't say anything :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 42<strong>

His plane was delayed for almost forty-five minutes due to severe weather. He sat down in the section of seats where his plane was going to board, with everyone else that was on the same flight, and watched the weather channel, trying to see where the storm was headed. The winds had gotten to almost fifty miles an hour and lightning had struck at least ten homes. After forty- five minutes of waiting, a woman came over the intercom, announcing that their flight was now ready to board. A few people clapped in excitement and, everyone sitting in that section stood up and headed for the gate, tickets in their hands.

They finally took off at 10:00; an hour after their scheduled take off. The flight was an easy one overall; there was a little bit of turbulence when they took off, but after they had gotten though the storm, it was a smooth and easy ride. When they landed in California, everyone got off of the plane and Ben walked with his fellow passengers to get his luggage. He waited until he saw his bag come through and he picked it up and threw it over his shoulder and went outside.

He finally flagged down a taxi and they drove to the air force base. The driver dropped Ben off and he got his bag and began to walk up to the base when he saw someone running up to him. He felt nervous for a second, but relaxed when he saw that it was Ethan. When he got close, he called out his name and Ben put down his bag and shook his hand before giving him a quick hug,

"Where were you? We expected you almost an hour ago."

"Yeah my plane was delayed for forty- five minutes; there was some bad weather around Wilmington."

"Well, come on, I got one of the guys I know to get us in the same room. Welcome back, roommate." Ben smiled and picked up his bag and walked with Ethan to their barracks.

Edwards was nothing like the air force base he was on in Afghanistan. Instead of being surrounded by sand in the middle of nowhere, Edwards was surrounded by grassy meadows and hills. Off in the distance was a small town that was barely visible. While they were walking to the barracks, a fighter jet flew by above them.

"They've been practicing all day; they think they're going to get attacked at any minute. I heard that they had some threats and they're trying to figure out what to do. I personally think the threats are a prank, but a threat is a threat, right? They have to take it seriously."

They walked down a couple of hallways and finally stopped in front of a door. Ethan took out his key and unlocked the door and they went inside. The room sort of looked the same as their room in Afghanistan; there were two beds, one on the left and right sides of the room. Ben's of course, was empty but on Ethan's were three pictures. There was a picture of him with his dad at the state fair two pictures of him and Sarah. Ben put his bag down on his bed and Ethan said,

"You know, I've only been here for about a week, but I think I could get used to his place. I like it so much better than the hot desert in Afghanistan. Did you see the town off in the distance when we were coming up?" Ben nodded and he continued,

"Me and a couple of guys went down there the other night when we got here. It was, surprisingly, a small town and the people were really friendly and we talked to a bunch of families at a restaurant we went to. It's so much more comfortable and more welcoming. Don't get me wrong, I know we still have a job to do and I'm more serious about my job more than ever but it just feels better here. Do you get what I'm saying?" Ben laughed and nodded,

"Yeah, I get you .So, is that all you've done since you got here?"

"Pretty much. We got here a couple of days ago and we've just been hanging out; I haven't even gotten to go flying yet. When you get situated in here, do you want to head out there and practice? I've been dying to and I know you probably are, too." He nodded,

"Sure, let's go right now; I can unpack and get everything straight when we get back."

* * *

><p>They headed out to the hangar, where a bunch of planes were sitting, waiting to be flown. There were a couple of guys standing around but, other than that, the hangar was empty. They walked back to where a couple of F-15's were and Ben climbed right into one, feeling more and more excited. Ethan climbed into the one right next to his and they both started up the engines. They waited for another plane to taxi in and they both taxied out onto the runway. Ben took off first, with Ethan right behind him.<p>

With the sun starting to set, almost everyone had stopped practicing for the day. This was Ben's favorite time of the day; the sky was a beautiful mix of pink, orange and a tiny hint of purple. The sun was just about to set, hanging just over the top of the hills in the distance. It was so beautiful and Ben knew there wasn't a prettier time a day, or a better time to fly.

They ended up flying until they couldn't fly anymore. When the sun had finally set, they were forced to call it quits. They had flown for almost forty- five minutes, over the hills and even over the town that seemed far away. They mainly flew right beside each other and they had their radios on so they could communicate back and forth. They even did a couple of tricks and ended up getting a bunch of practice in.

After the sun had set, they radioed each other and called it quits. Since Ethan was in front of him, he landed first. After he had landed and taxied back into the hangar, Ben followed right behind him. He lined up the nose of the plane with the runway and landed it perfectly. He flew it back to its original position; beside the one Ethan was flying. He cut off the engine and hopped out of the cockpit where Ethan was leaning up against the plane. He hopped down and Ethan said,

"That was fun. I haven't seen that kind of scenery while flying in a long time." Ben nodded,

"Yeah, it was beautiful; I'm used to seeing sand all over the place from the sky."

"Me, too." He said, yawning.

"Well, I'm going to go ahead and go back to the barracks, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, you have to tell me what there is to do around here."

"Haven't you been stationed here before?"

"Yeah, but that's been forever ago; I haven't been here in years."

"Oh, yeah; well, let's head back to the room and I'll tell you what I know, so far, anyway."

They walked back to their room and Ben went and took a quick shower and put on a pair of his workout shorts and a t-shirt. While Ben was unpacking his stuff, Ethan lied down on his bed and told him what he had discovered around the base in the few days he had been here. The base had a huge workout room, with nicer equipment than the one in Afghanistan. There was a game room right near the weight room with a pool and foosball table. It had a small T.V. with a sofa in it, also.

"Plus, I heard that they just got a full rockband set." Ben laughed,

"Really? I'll have to play it soon, then. I haven't gotten to play in a couple of weeks."

"Speaking of, what did you do during your leave?" Ben sighed, debating whether or not to tell him about Lilah. While he was deciding, Ethan laughed and said,

"Oh my god, you met a girl, didn't you?" Ben looked at him,

"What? No-"

"Don't lie to me. Yes you did meet a girl, it's written all over your face. Tell me everything." Ben nodded and sat down on his bed,

"Fine, yeah I did meet a girl but nothing happened."

"Who is she?"

"It's my next door neighbor's daughter, Lilah."

"Was she pretty?"

"Yeah she was pretty but nothing happened." Ethan laughed,

"Why not, man? Come on, tell me everything" Ben smiled and shook his head,

"It was nothing, I met her one day and we all went out on her parent's boat. We went tubing and I showed her how to tube."

"You were on a tube together?"

"Yeah, but she fell off a couple of times and I fell off behind her."

"Aww, let me guess, you promised to fall off when she fell off so she wouldn't be alone in the ocean, right? That's a good one, I used it myself actually."

"No, it was nothing like that. Anyway, after we went tubing, we went and had lunch on the shore," He looked away for a second,

"And she kissed me." Ethan shot up with wide eyes,

"What? I thought you said nothing happened?"

"Nothing did happen. I told her I couldn't do it and that I wasn't ready to have a relationship yet."

"No you didn't. Man, come on, Ben, it's been two years."

"It has nothing to do with Allison." Ethan laughed,

"Don't give me that, Ben. Can you honestly say that Allison's face didn't pop into your mind the moment Lilah kissed you?" Ben looked down for a second and Ethan nodded,

"That's what I thought. You still love her, Ben, everyone can see it." He nodded, knowing what Ethan was saying was true.

"When she kissed me, I didn't feel anything. There weren't any sparks or a connection or anything. Like my first kiss with Allison."

"Well you were in love with Allison when you kissed her, right? You weren't in love with Lilah when you kissed her. Do you think you'll ever get over her?" He shrugged his shoulders and lied down,

"I don't know, I honestly don't think I ever will."

* * *

><p>For the next four to five months, they went on only one mission. They went and helped out some of the soldiers that had gotten hurt in one of the towns. It was much like his previous mission, but was less dangerous. He helped fly a group of soldiers back to the on- base nurse station and one of the soldier's injuries were so severe that he had to be airlifted to the hospital about twenty to thirty minutes away from the base.<p>

For the rest of the four months, they had stayed on the base. He had continued working out every morning and had maintained the stubble he had decided to grow. They had also played a lot of rockband, more rockband than one should be allowed to play in the air force. He and Ethan had also begun practicing flying daily.

They had both gotten much better since their arrival four months ago. They had practiced all kinds of tricks and was, arguably, some of the best flyers on the base. They had even begun racing some of the other men on base, much to a lot of the officer's disapproval.

He had still continued to write letters and make phone calls to his father. Nothing much had changed since he had left; his father still went to work at 7:30 in the morning and had continued to hang out regularly with Chris and Madison. More than once did his dad tell him that Lilah had asked him about him and how he was doing. He figured he could have, at least, written to her once and told her that he was fine, but he ended up not. He didn't want to give her the wrong idea and he decided to let his father just give her messages from him. Just recently, his father had told him that Lilah had met a guy and said that she was in love with him. Ben was sort of surprised, but told his father to tell her congratulations for him.

He woke up one morning and continued the routine that he had kept up for years and went down to the weight room and worked out for about an hour and a half. Ethan decided not to come with him and decided to sleep in for a little bit. He worked out and a half and went back to the barracks and took a cold shower. While he was walking back to his room, he stopped and talked to Dylan, one of his friends that had been transferred from Afghanistan. He had only talked to him a couple of times in the five months he had been here. They talked for a couple of minutes and decided that they would hang out later on; either play a couple of games at the game room or go have a beer down at the bar.

After he finished talking with Dylan, he waked back to his room. He unlocked the door, expecting to find Ethan inside, but the room was empty. He went over to his drawer, right beside the window and heard a lot of planes flying outside. The curtains were closed to keep out the sun and the heat. He opened his drawer and put on an Air Force t-shirt and changed into his jeans. He was just about to sit down on his bed when he heard yelling and gunshots. As soon as he stood up, the door to his room busted open. He looked and saw Ethan standing in the doorway, with a petrified look in his face,

"Ethan, what's-"

"Come on, we have to go."

"What's happening?"

"We don't have any time!" He yelled, getting his uniform on. He threw Ben's at him and Ben put it on, not knowing what was going on. They both had them on in seconds and Ben asked, once again,

"Ethan, what is going on?"

Ethan went over to the window and opened the curtains and stepped aside to let Ben see what was happening. What Ben saw shocked him. Buildings on the base were on fire and there were planes shooting and flying over the base. A couple of the planes that were shooting made contact with one of the buildings and the building exploded, setting it ablaze. He was almost in shock when Ethan grabbed his arm and yelled,

"Ben, come on, we have to go!"

They ran out of the room and down the hallway. There was a huge amount of men, with the same scared and confused looks on their faces, all heading in the same direction. They got out of the barracks and came out into the open, into chaos. The sound of the planes and the shootings and the screams of all the men and women were deafening. He looked around and there were people with burn marks on the faces and the nurses were running around in confusion, trying to help the people that were injured. Ben was still shocked from the attack and Dylan came running up to them,

"Come on, we have to get in a plane; they're tearing the base apart!"

Ben and Ethan ran to the hangar, trying to avoid the shots of the planes and buildings exploding around them. They pushed through the crowds of injured people and finally got to the hangar. There was a massive amount of men, all trying to get into a plane. The hangar was almost empty of planes and the few that were left were being taken out by men that were ready to defend the base. Somehow, Ben and Ethan made it to two F-16's that weren't being fought over. Ethan made it to a plane first and got into it and started the engine. When Ben got to the other planes, another man pushed him out of the way and climbed into the plane. Ethan yelled to him and Ben said,

"Go ahead; I'll wait for another on!"

Ethan nodded and Ben moved out of the way as Ethan and the other guy took off. He looked around again and saw a man lying on the ground a couple of feet away from him. He could hardly hear anything, but, as he was looking at him, Ben could hear him yelling for help. Ben ran over to him and knelt down beside him. As soon as he knelt down, the man grabbed his arm and pleaded for Ben to help him.

"Calm down, what's wrong with you?" The man pulled his Air Force jacket to the side and Ben saw a bullet hole in his side. There was blood everywhere and Ben said,

"Okay, just hold on for me, I'm going to go find some help."

There were more shots fired and Ben instinctively covered his head. A couple of seconds later, he heard more shots, this time very close, and the men and women in the hangar all screamed. A couple of seconds later, a section of the roof caved in beside him. He immediately threw himself to the side to get out of the way and the man yelled to Ben, begging him not to leave him there. Ben crawled back over to him and said,

"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you; we're going to get out of here."

Before he knew it, he heard a faint sound of more gunshots and he felt a massive surge of pain in his side and his arm. The man beside him screamed and, before Ben could do anything, he heard the roof collapsing and then he saw black.

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><p><strong>Oh no! Ben got shot! :O Heidi, what in the world. Despite the fact he got shot, I think you guys will really really really like the next chapter! Gonna be up soon for you! :D<strong>


	44. Chapter 43

****Whoop whoop, starting to update these fairly quickly. It's because i'm so addicted to typing it because i'm reading along just like y'all haha! I really liked typing/reading this chapter. I hope you enjoy it too! I think you will :D****

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter 43**

When he woke up, he didn't have any idea where he was. He looked around and saw rows of beds on both sides of him. Every one of the beds was occupied with men and women and he saw tons of nurses. Almost every person was wrapped in bandages and, only then, did he remember everything that had happened. Like everyone else, he was lying in a bed and he remembered that he had felt massive pain in his side and shoulder. He uncovered his stomach and saw a bandage wrapped all the way around his stomach and waist and there was a bandage patch on his shoulder. He tried to sit up but, as soon as he did, he felt a massive surge of pain shoot all through his body.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't sit up. You need to lie down and rest." He looked up and a nurse was standing beside his bed.

"What happened?"

"To what? You or the base?"

"Both." She sighed,

"Well you were shot three times; twice in the side and once in your shoulder. The roof of the hangar caved in and some of the debris landed on top of you and knocked you unconscious. Luckily, someone got you out and brought you here."

"Where's here, exactly?" She sighed,

"It's like a mini-hospital that's set up right down from the road from both the base and the hospital. When the debris fell on you, a piece of wood fell on your leg and broke it. You also have a concussion from where you fell backwards onto the metal ground."

"Jeeze, and I'm still alive?" She smiled,

"Yes, you are still alive, than the lord. As for the base, that's a different story. Most of the buildings were destroyed and the hangar was completely demolished. Luckily, a lot of the planes were up in the sky and there were only a couple of planes in there. We got most of the people that were in the hangar out, you included, but unfortunately, there were about twenty people still in there that we couldn't get out." He shook his head,

"God, do they know how many total people were killed?"

"No, not yet. Right now they are saying in the hundreds and the numbers are rising."

"Wow, who was it? Do they know?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"I haven't heard anything. I think I heard someone say the Iraqi's but I'm not completely sure." He shook his head and to his right, someone was yelling for a nurse. She looked his way, then turned to Ben,

"Let me go help him, you lie down and try to rest. Your nurse will be with you in a couple of minutes." He looked at her,

"You're not my nurse?"

"No, actually your nurse was killed in a rescue attempt yesterday, I'm sorry."

"Yesterday? How long have I been here?"

'Two days; have you not woken up until now?"

"No, that's why I was so confused when I woke up."

'Wow, but yes, you'll have a new nurse. She's actually a nurse from the hospital; a lot of nurses from the hospital volunteered to come here and help. If you need anything before she gets here, let me know; my name's Hollie."

"Okay, and thank you for filling me in and everything." She smiled,

"You're welcome."

She walked around the side of his bed and walked over to the man who was yelling for help. Ben relaxed and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He tried to get into a more comfortable position, but he couldn't; now that she had mentioned it, his leg was hurting. He moved the covers again and saw that his leg was, in fact, in a cast. He sighed and closed his eyes and tried to rest for, at least, a few minutes.

He was still in shock a little bit. He couldn't believe that most of the base had been destroyed. If Hollie was right and it was the Iraqi's who did this, Ben knew that there would be a war. He only had to go back one more time; if they did go to war, he would be ready. He wanted to help as much as he could in the one term he had left.

While he was trying to rest, he heard someone else scream. He opened his eyes and looked over to see who was screaming. What he saw made his heart sink and skip a beat at the same time. He saw who screamed, but that wasn't what made his heart skip a beat. The nurse standing over him trying to comfort him was the person that made his heart feel all of those emotions. The nurse standing over him was Allison.

* * *

><p>He closed his eyes, making sure he wasn't dreaming, but, when he opened them back up, she was still standing there.<p>

He watched her for a couple of minutes and watched her comfort and help the man that screamed. She felt his forehead and checked his temperature and, also uncovered his arm, or what was left of it. She quickly covered it back up, but Ben had seen that his arm had been amputated from the elbow down. She smiled at the man and Ben saw her say something to him. Ben couldn't hear what she said over the moaning and groaning of everyone in the hospital, but the man smiled and said something back to her. She smiled again and turned to walk in the direction where Ben's bed was.

When she turned and looked in his direction, she stopped. She met his eyes and, like the very first time he had looked in her eyes, felt something click. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours; she was about four beds down from him and there were nurses walking through their line of vision, but neither of them looked away. After what had seemed like hours, she finally blinked and, despite the distance between them, he heard her whisper,

"Ben?"

He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. When he didn't say anything, she slowly came towards him. All he could do was stare at her. Though it had been two and a half years since he had seen her, she looked older, more mature. Her hair was longer and she was as beautiful as ever. When she got beside his bed, she asked,

"Are you okay?" He cleared his throat, realizing that he had not said anything since he had seen her.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"What happened to you?" He cleared his throat again, realizing that, for some reason, he was nervous.

"I, umm, I got shot; twice in the side and once in the shoulder. And a roof collapsed on me and I broke my leg."

"Oh my gosh, that's horrible." He heard the sincerity in her voice and it warmed his spirits,

"It's not that bad, it could have been worse." She nodded and then laughed,

"I just can't believe that I'm seeing you again. In a hospital. In California." She smiled,

"I know, what are you doing here? In California, I mean; we live in North Carolina."

"I don't anymore; I live here in Los Angeles now. I moved here about a year ago."

"Why? What about your mom and stuff?" She looked away for a second, then said,

"She died about a year and a half ago." He raised his eyebrow, in shock,

"What?" She nodded,

"She was taking a bunch of depression medication and mixed the wrong ones together. She died in her sleep."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Allison" She shrugged one shoulder and swiped at a tear that had suddenly formed in her eye.

"It's okay. I just had get out of there, though; my apartment, Wilmington, I couldn't even stay in North Carolina. There was nothing left for me there so I moved to the furthest place I could get to. I know it sounds extreme, but I didn't know what to do at the time. It's grown on me and I really like it here."

"Well, that's good. But I'm really sorry about your mom, I wish I would've known."

"Thank you and I didn't tell anyone for the longest time. I had to tell my family, of course, but I didn't tell my friends or anyone."

"I understand completely." She gave a small smile, then laughed,

"Wow, that's the first time I've talked about my mom to anyone in a long time. And it's the first time I've talked to you since you hung the phone up on me." He nodded,

"I know, I feel terrible about that. I'm so sorry." She shook her head,

"It's fine, don't worry about it." She sighed and then said,

"Well, getting back to being a nurse, has anyone come by to check on you lately?"

"Yeah, Hollie just checked on me a couple of minutes ago."

"Good. Hollie's a sweetheart, I love her to death. Well, I think you should be good for right now. I'm going to go check on some other patients; you should try and get some sleep." She turned to walk away and he called out to her.

"Wait, Allison!" She turned back around to face him and he tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body. He managed to turn over and sit up, putting his weight on his arm and asked,

"You're coming back, aren't you?"

"Well, my shift is over in forty- five minutes. I'm going to help a few more patients and you need to rest for more than forty- five minutes. You'll have another nurse that's on the night shift." He nodded, disappointedly,

"Okay, I guess I'll just see you later, then." She looked at him for a minute, then smiled,

"I'll come back after my shift is over." He looked up at her and then smiled,

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, but rest until I get back."

"I will"

She smiled and looked at him for a second and then turned around and walked away. He watched her walk away, not believing that she was here and knowing, without a doubt, that he was still in love with her.

* * *

><p>For the next forty-five minutes, he tried to take Allison's advice and rest. He stayed awake fifteen minutes after Allison had left and ended up sleeping for almost forty- five minutes. When he woke back up, his leg was hurting, more than it did when he was awake. He tried to move it, but pain shot through his leg. He, instinctively, grabbed his left with both of his hands and he felt a surge of pain, bigger this time, run through his shoulder where he had gotten shot. He grunted in pain and gritted his teeth, waiting for the pain to subside. A nurse must have seen his face because she came to the side of his bed,<p>

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine; my leg is just hurting a little bit."

"Do you want some medicine?" She had her hand on his arm and he looked at her,

"Sure, do you have any?"

"Not with me, but I can go get some."

"Thank you."

She smiled and was about to walk away, when they heard someone call out the nurse's name. They both turned and saw Allison walking towards them. Ben couldn't help but smile and, as she got closer, she looked down at him, then up at the nurse,

"Hey, is he okay?"

"Yeah, he was complaining about his leg hurting so I offered to go get him some medicine. His nurse was nowhere to be found so I offered to help." She said the last part sarcastically and Allison motioned to her outfit,

"If you haven't noticed, my shift is over; it ended fifteen minutes ago." She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt and the nurse looked at Allison up and down and said,

"Well, I'm still going to get him some medicine."

"Don't bother, I'm already have some in my purse that I got on the way here." He nurse looked disgusted and looked at Allison for a minute before scoffing and walking away. Ben laughed and looked up at Allison,

"What was that all about?" She smiled and grabbed one of the stools that were stacked up against the wall. She put it down right beside his bed and sat down,

"She's had it out for me since I got here. I work at the hospital right down the street and I guess she's jealous? I have no idea why but that's what she's been telling all of the other nurses. Plus, she has the tendency to flirt with a lot of soldiers, especially injured ones. She believes that she can be their savior or something like that. I wasn't going to let her try and put the moves on you, especially in your condition." He smiled,

"Well, thank you." She smiled and he sat up a little bit, putting his back up against the backboard. When he moved, she smiled and shook her head,

"You don't listen, do you? I keep telling you not to move and stay still as much as possible."

"Well I can't stay still forever; my legs are starting to fall asleep. I haven't gotten up and walked since I got here and, from what Hollie said, I've been here for two days." She raised her eyebrow,

"Has anyone come by and stretched your legs out?"

"I don't think so and I'm getting stiff." She looked around,

"Well, I'm not supposed to, your nurse is actually supposed to do it, but I think it'll be all right. Come on, I'll help you stretch your legs out." He looked at her, suddenly nervous, but he nodded,

"Okay." She got up and moved her stool to the side and came back to the side of his bed,

"Alright, we have to sit you up. Hang your feet over the side of the bed, okay? It might hurt since you haven't moved your legs much. Just put your arm around my shoulder and I'll help you." He nodded and she bent over the bed, closer to him, and he put his arm around her shoulder.

Her face was right beside his and he tried not to stare at her. It was the closest she had been to him in two and a half years and he didn't want her to move. He could smell the lotion and perfume that she had on as she put her hands on the other side of his waist, where he hadn't gotten shot. She slowly pulled him up and he felt his skin almost jump when she put her hands on his waist. It hurt more than he thought it would and he had to grit his teeth as she sat him up.

"Okay, now I'm going to put both of your legs over the side of the bed, tell me if it hurts, alright?"

He nodded and she grabbed his right leg that was in the cast, first and slowly and gently picked it up. He bit his tongue as she put It over the side of the bed and she gently put it down on the ground. She took a deep breath and looked at him and smiled when she saw that he was gritting his teeth.

"Are you okay? It didn't hurt too badly, did it?"

"No, not at all." She laughed,

"Whatever, it was hurting. You don't have to put on a brave face, I know you too well to fall for that. Besides, I think I saw a tear in your eye." He smiled,

"Don't exaggerate, I'm fine. I'm already sitting up and it's only been two days since I got here; that has to be a new record." She laughed again,

"Not really; it's good that you're sitting up, but it's going to be a while until you'll be able to walk and be fully recovered. Plus, it's more than your leg; your side and shoulder also have to fully recover before you're ready to walk out of here." He sighed and she said,

"Hey, don't look so upset; you're going to be fine and you'll get to recover. A lot of these people have physical scars that they'll never recover from." He nodded,

"You're right. Plus, I have you here to keep me company while I get better, right?" She smiled and nodded,

"That's right."

* * *

><p>It took almost a half an hour to stretch both of his legs. She easily got his left leg, which was perfectly fine, over the side of the bed and she started with that one. His legs were more asleep than he realized and he instantly felt tingling in his leg as she bent it and massaged it. He had on long pants, so he couldn't feel her touch on his bare skin but, as she massaged his leg he had a feeling that the tingling wasn't coming from the fact that his leg was sleep.<p>

She spent about fifteen minutes on each leg and, when she was finished with his left leg, she moved to his right leg, the one that was in a cast. The cast wasn't like a regular cast that you would get from a doctor's office; it was a huge bandage that was rolled down from his ankle up to his knee. She didn't bend his leg this time, but gently squeezed his cast, barely touching it. She even squeezed his foot for a few minutes, trying to get blood flowing to both his leg and foot. She wrinkled her nose as she was squeezing his foot and said,

"You better be glad I've known you for a while, because I would never do this for anyone I didn't know very, very well." He laughed,

"I appreciate it, thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I wouldn't even do it for you if you weren't crippled. You know I hate touching people's feet."

"I am not crippled."

"Oh whatever, I basically had to drag you and lift you by myself to sit you up." He smiled,

"You know you're supposed to take pity on a cripple, especially this cripple right?" She laughed,

"What do you think I'm doing? And you just admitted right there that you're a cripple."

"No I didn't; you're convinced that I'm a cripple and I was just saying that you should take pity on a cripple since you're convinced that I am one." She laughed again and playfully slapped his leg, which happened to be the leg that was in the cast. He immediately felt a surge of pain and he bit his tongue as he grabbed his leg. As she realized what she had done, she put both hands over her mouth,

"Oh my gosh, Ben, I'm so sorry!" He was still grabbing his leg, but he loosened his grip as the pain subsided. He took a deep breath,

"It's okay, I'm fine."

She smiled, sympathetically, and put her arms around his neck and hugged him. It sort of surprised him, but he hugged her back, cherishing the fact that he was actually holding her in his arms. While they were hugging, they heard someone call her name. Allison pulled away and stood back up and turned around to see who had called her. He sighed and looked also and saw a guy their age, maybe a little older, walking towards them. Ben looked up at Allison and saw her smile and begin to walk towards him,

"Jeremy? What are you doing here?"

He smiled and, as he got closer to her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Ben was surprised to say the least. After kissing her, he pulled away to look at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist,

"We were supposed to go to the movies; I was going to meet you at the apartment at 8:30. It's 8:45 and I figured you were still here at work, so I decided to come down here." Allison's back was to Ben so he couldn't see her face, but Jeremy motioned to him with his head,

"So, who's that you had your arms wrapped around? You're not cheating on me, are you?" He heard Allison laugh and say,

"No, I'm not cheating on you; come here, I want you to meet him." Allison turned back around to face him and she led Jeremy over to him. When they got closer, she looked at Ben and he could swear he saw a look of sadness in her eyes but it almost immediately disappeared.

"Jeremy, I want you to meet a friend of mine, Ben Carter. Ben, this is my boyfriend, Jeremy Branch." Jeremy stuck out his hand and Ben, reluctantly, took it and shook his hand,

"It's nice to meet you, Ben."

"You too, Jeremy." Allison smiled and turned back to Jeremy,

"What time does the movie start?"

"9:30, but I want to get there early; I want to get the best seats possible." Allison nodded and Ben heard her whisper,

"Can you give me like five minutes? I'll meet you outside in a bit."

"Okay, don't be too long though, I want to get good seats."

"I know, just five minutes." He nodded and gave her a kiss and turned around and headed back outside, not bothering to say good-bye to Ben. When he had disappeared through the door, Ben said,

"It was nice meeting you, too." Allison turned back around to face him and smiled,

"I'm sorry about him, he's really looking forward to that movie and I completely forgot that I had told him I'd go with him."

"It's fine, Allison." She looked at him, suspiciously, then sighed,

"Well, I better go meet him. I'm sorry, I know I told you I would keep you company, but I already promised I would go with him. You're welcome to go-" As soon as she realized what she was saying, she sighed and said, sincerely,

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Ben, I wasn't even thinking." He smiled and waved it off,

"It's okay. I would go with you, but I'm kind of immobile at the moment." She smiled, sadly,

"I'm sorry." He smiled,

"It's okay, go ahead, I'll be here for a while." She smiled again and nodded,

"I promise I'll sit right here with you tomorrow."

"I think you have to anyways, you're my nurse, right? That's your job." She smiled and laughed,

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ben."

"Okay, and thank you for coming back after your shift and sitting with me. And for helping me stretch out my legs, and for getting rid of the slutty nurse." She laughed again,

"You're welcome, it was my pleasure." He smiled,

"Goodnight, Allison." She looked at him a little longer than usual, still smiling, and finally said,

"Goodnight, Ben."

She turned and followed Jeremy outside and he watched her as she walked past the rows of beds and through the doors leading outside. He sighed and struggled to put his legs back in his bed. He bit his tongue again and finally got them in the bed. He lied down and sighed, picturing Allison and Jeremy kissing right in front of him.

Though he had just met Jeremy, he had a bad feeling about him. He definitely didn't look like Allison's type; he had a pair of black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with a black ripped up jacket on. He had a red toboggan on and he had gages in both of his ears. He would never like any of Allison's boyfriends, but there was something about Jeremy that gave him a bag feeling. Maybe it was the fact that Jeremy looked angry and jealous when he had seen Allison hugging him, or maybe he was reading too much into it.

He couldn't judge Jeremy for his jealously because, honestly, Ben was jealous of him, too. He was jealous that Jeremy was now the guy holding Allison in his arms and the one that was taking her out on a date. Jeremy was now the one that had her heart.

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><p><strong>:D :D :D :D :D Allison's back in the story! As if she ever left, right? Bah. I was kind of iffy on the first convo first confrontation between Ben and Allison and it wasn't as good as I had liked it to be. I wrote a thousand different scenarios and ended up picking this one. I hope you guys liked it! Review and tell me what you think! Please! :)**


	45. Chapter 44

****Another updateeee. Wow, this is my third tonight. I should slow it down a little bit. Maybe. Probably not. Haha, enjoy!****

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><p><strong>Chapter 44<strong>

He ended up spending almost five months in the hospital. He never expected it to take so long to recover. The only positive thing that came out of staying to long was that Allison stayed by his side the entire time. The night she went on a date with Jeremy was a hard night for him. Not only was his shoulder and leg hurting more than ever, but the fact that Allison was out on a date with another guy didn't help. He couldn't help but imagine what they were doing and if Jeremy was trying to put the moves on her. He knew Allison could take care of herself, but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering.

He lied awake for almost an hour and a half. His night nurse finally showed up and gave him some medicine, which eased his pain tremendously. He eventually fell asleep but woke up numerous times throughout the night, trying to get into a better position, but just couldn't find one. He woke up at 7:45 that morning and couldn't fall back asleep. He sat up a tiny bit and carefully stretched his arm and then stretched his other arm. While he was stretching, he heard someone ask,

"Hey, are you okay?" He looked and saw Allison walking towards him, now in her nurse's outfit. He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up and needed to stretch." She nodded and, as she got closer, surprised him by feeling his forehead,

"Wow, you're really warm, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, these blankets have been on me all night though and I'm still in my air force uniform which makes it even worse." She nodded and surprised him again by sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Well, I think this might be your lucky morning."

"Why is that?"

"I brought you some different clothes." She bent down and picked up a plastic bag and he smiled,

"Really?"

"Yep, I borrowed some from Jeremy; I'm sure he won't mind." He smile slowly left his face and he cleared his throat,

"Oh, well tell him thanks. I don't think I'm the skinny jean and ripped up jacket kind of guy, though." She smiled,

"I know, that's why I brought you a pair of normal blue jeans a black t-shirt." He looked at her, then smiled,

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I hope they fit though, you're bigger than Jeremy is; way more muscular."

"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, but he's kind of a shrimp." She laughed,

"Don't pick on him." He shook his head,

"I'm not picking on him, I'm just being honest; you know he's a shrimp, too." She smiled, then shrugged her shoulders,

"Okay, I guess you're right." He smiled,

"I know I am." She smiled and looked at him for a minute and then sat down on the same stool she had last night. She continued to look at him and then finally asked,

"You're still the same, aren't you?"

"Pretty much, I haven't changed a lot in two and a half years."

"You look different though."

"How?"

"Well, you've definitely gotten more muscular and you've lost some of your belly. Your hair has grown some and, plus, you have facial hair now. Are you growing a goatee?" He smiled and shook his head,

"No, I'm just growing a little stubble; I've heard it makes me look a little older and more handsome." She laughed,

"You're crazy." He smiled and she looked at him again,

"But there's one more thing."

"What?"

"Your eyes are different, they're older, too. It's like they've seen and experienced things you shouldn't have seen and experienced. They're sad almost."

He looked at her and she was looking in his eyes. For a second, he considered kissing her. He wanted to, more than anything, but he forced himself not to. He replayed the smile on her face when she saw Jeremy and he didn't want to mess up anything in her life. It wasn't fair to her and, despite how much he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her, he forced himself not to. He simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders,

"Well, I'm in the Air Force; I've gone on a lot of missions and you're right, I have seen and experienced things I shouldn't have."

"I've always said I'd never make it in the Air Force."

"I don't know, you're stronger than you think, Allison." She smiled and they sat together for a few minutes before he felt a massive surge of pain shoot through his leg, only it was his left leg; the one not in a cast. He immediately grabbed it and Allison stood up as he grunted in pain.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?"

"I think I've got a Charlie Horse in my leg" He said, gritting through his teeth. She grabbed his arm,

"Here, you've got to stand up and walk on it."

He pushed through the pain and she helped him up as quickly as possible. He put his arm around her shoulder and she pulled him up. It was the first time he had stood up in three days and, as soon as she stood him up, pain shot throughout his entire body. He grunted in pain again and she held his hand that he had around her shoulder and wrapped her other arm around his waist and helped him walk. She helped him walk back and forth for almost five minutes as he limped, trying to get rid of the Charlie Horse. It hurt to walk, but it finally went away after walking on it for a few minutes. He sighed,

"Okay, it's alright."

"Are you sure?" He nodded and they walked back to his bed and she helped him sit down. When he was situated, she sat down on the stool and he looked at her. She wouldn't meet his eyes and he asked,

"Allison, are you alright?" She nodded, still not looking at him; he wasn't convinced that she was okay.

"Allison, I've known you for almost six years, I know when you're lying." She finally looked up at him and then started to laugh. He raised his eyebrow, now as confused as ever,

"Why are you laughing?" She continued to laugh for a second until she shook her head,

"I tried not to laugh, Ben."

"What are you talking about?"

"It was just the way you reacted to having a Charlie Horse You were trying to put on a brave face, which didn't work by the way, but I could tell that it was really hurting you. I've seen you show that you were in pain more in the last three days, than the three years we were together." He looked away for a second; Allison just mentioning their relationship was enough to bring a swarm of memories back to him. He shrugged his shoulders,

"Well, I hadn't been shot three times and my leg wasn't broken while we were together."

"Yeah, you're right."

"But I've been in pain much more worse than this before and it actually happened when we were together."

"What? When?" He shook his head,

"Never mind, you probably don't want to hear it; it's not really appropriate." She surprised him once again by putting her hand on top of his. He looked down at her hand on his, then back up at her. She was looking at him with a serious expression,

"Ben, tell me, I want to know." He sighed,

"I felt more pain than this every time I had to leave you and go back to Afghanistan." Her expression turned sad and she put her other hand on top of his. She opened her mouth to say something, but a nurse called her name. They both turned to look and the nurse was looking at them, a surprised look on her face.

"What is it, Kristen?" Allison asked, pulling both of her hands from the top of his hand. Kristen cleared her throat,

"Head nurse wants to see you in her office." Allison nodded and turned back to him,

"I'll be back in a few minutes okay?"

He nodded and she looked at him for a second, then got up and headed to the head nurse's office. He sighed and lied back down, thinking about what had just happened. He probably shouldn't have told Allison what he had just told her. He really didn't want to complicate things in her life, but he couldn't help how he felt. She had wanted to know what he was thinking and he didn't want to lie to her.

* * *

><p>Allison ended up being in the office for almost twenty minutes. He wondered what the head nurse wanted with her and when she finally came out, she had a sad and concerned look on her face. He sat up against the backboard of his bed and she sat down on the stool when she reached his bedside. She didn't say anything for a few minutes and Ben finally asked,<p>

"What did she want to talk to you about?" She still didn't say anything until she finally sighed,

"She's gotten a lot of complaints that me and you have been acting 'too friendly'" she sighed again,

"And she doesn't want me being your nurse anymore." He sat up even more,

"What? That's crazy; all we've been doing is talking. You helped me stretch out my legs and helped me get the Charlie Horse out of my leg. Did she say who's complaining?"

"No, but she said she doesn't even want me near you anymore."

"What? Why not? She can't tell us what to do. We're just friends; we're not even a couple."

"I know that and that's what I told her before I told her, before I asked her to please let me stay as your nurse; actually, 'ask' is not a very good word, more like plead." He looked at her,

"You plead with her not to give me another nurse?"

"Yeah, I guess I did." He smiled,

"What did she say?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders,

"She might have let me stay as your nurse."

"Really? Yes!" She laughed,

"So you're glad, then?" He nodded,

"Absolutely. I mean, as long as you're a nurse, you should definitely be a nurse to someone you know. And, as long as I'm a patient, I should get a nurse that I know. Plus, I should receive the best care possible and I know that no other nurse could be better than you. I mean, what other nurse would help me up and walk with me down the hallway while I'm limping, trying to get the Charlie Horse out of my leg?" She smiled and laughed,

"No one; everyone else would have laughed at the face you were making." He smiled,

"But you didn't." She smiled and shook her head,

"No, I didn't. I couldn't just sit there and laugh while I saw you lying there in pain."

* * *

><p>For the next two months, he focused very hard on his recovery. He had, lately, begun taking walks around the hospital, trying to make his leg recover faster and trying to get used to finally walking again. The pain in both his side and his shoulder had subsided a little bit but the pain in his leg still remained the same, even after two months.<p>

Since the head nurse had warned Allison to not get 'too friendly' with him, she had kept her distance for a while. But, after a couple of weeks, she had slowly started to decrease the distance between them. She was still with Jeremy, of course, but she didn't seem to ever want to talk about him, which was fine with Ben.

In addition to being his nurse and comforting him and helping him recover, she had also come in to sit with him after her shifts were over. She didn't come in after her shifts every day of course; she went home to her apartment, which was conveniently right down the street from the hospital which, in turn, was right down the street from the mini-hospital Ben was at.

It got kind of lonely on the days Allison didn't come in. His other nurse, the one that worked at night, wasn't friendly at all. Besides asking him if he needed any medicine, she barely said two words to him. But, when Allison did come in after her shifts, it was worth having to be stuck with the horrible nurse he had at night. Allison would go back to her apartment and change clothes, then come back and sit beside his bed, just talking and keeping him company.

She told him everything that had happened after they had broken up. She had finished college with a degree in nursing and had gotten a job at the New Hanover Regional Medical Centre hospital in Wilmington. Almost a year after she had graduated from college and gotten a job nursing at the hospital, her mom had overdosed on the pills.

She said that her mom dying was one of the hardest things she's ever had to go through, even harder than her dad dying. They had gotten so close since her father had died and it was almost impossible for her to imagine life without her mom. Her sister had come down and helped her plan the funeral and stayed with her for a few days after it, going through all of their parents' things. Eventually, her sister went back home and she was stuck in Wilmington, alone.

She said staying in Wilmington was too hard of a thing to do, so she decided to move. She didn't know what possessed her to move all the way to California, and was actually really scared to be starting all the way over in a new city and a new state entirely. She found an apartment in L.A., right down the street from the hospital. She got a job at the hospital a few weeks after she moved into her apartment and met Jeremy about a month after.

She really didn't mention anything else about him; not how they met or what had even attracted her to him. Ben surely didn't to hear about it so, instead, she talked of how much the place had grown on her in a short period of time. She loved the fast-paced action of L.A. and her life was really good. While she was sitting beside him one day, something hit him,

"Wait, what happened to you singing with the church?" She laughed,

"Finally! I've been waiting two months for you to notice that I haven't brought it up. I had continued to sing for it up until the very day I left Wilmington. It was actually one of the hardest things I let go of. I absolutely loved doing it and I miss it a lot."

"Why did you leave Wilmington?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"I've already told you, Ben, I needed a change. There was nothing left in Wilmington for me." He shook his head and sat up, much more swiftly than he had in two months,

"Why do you keep saying that? There were tons of things left in Wilmington for you." She scoffed,

"Oh yeah, what?"

"Well, you had a job nursing at the hospital, you sang for your church, which I know that you loved with all of your heart, and you have all of your memories there." She looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders and continued,

"I mean, of course you still have your memories here with you in California, but Wilmington was the place where you made those memories. All of the memories of your mom and dad, your childhood, singing with the church, and going to college were all made in Wilmington."

"And the ones with you." This time, he looked at her,

"What?"

"All the memories I made with you were in Wilmington, too." He sighed,

"Allison-"

"What? I'm just saying they were; they happened, Ben."

"I know they happened, but that's over."

"Well, think about this, if I wouldn't have packed up all of my things and moved here, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now." This made him stop and think for a second. When she saw this, she smiled and put her hand on his arm,

"I'm going to go get us some snacks from the vending machine, I'll be right back."

He nodded and she got up and walked past the rows of beds and to the end of the hallway. She disappeared behind a corner and he was left alone with his thoughts. He started to think about the last two months and what was happening with him and Allison. Eventually, he would get better and return to the Air Force. What was going to happen then? He had lost Allison once and he didn't know if he was willing to lose her a second time. Scratch that, he knew he wasn't willing to lose her a second time. Before he could think any more about it, he saw her walking towards him. He sighed knowing that, despite how close he was to her, he was still as far away as he could be. When she got closer, she extended her had to him,

"Here, I got you peanut butter m- and-m's; I know you used to love them. He took them and looked at her as she sat down,

"You remember that?"

"Of course I remember, you used to get them every time we would stop and get gas from the gas station." He smiled and they sat in silence for a few minutes. He was debating whether or not he wanted to tell her about what he was just thinking. He had to find out what she thought, so he sat back up and looked down,

"Allison, what are we doing?"

"What do you mean?" He looked up at her and raised his hand,

"I mean, for the past two months you've been nursing me back to health and we've talked about everything that's happened to each other since we broke up, but we haven't really talked about what's on both of our minds. You mention our relationship briefly, but say nothing more about it and I mention it briefly as if it ended happily ever after. You say that you're going out on a date with Jeremy but you say nothing more about him. You told me you met him a month after you got a job at the hospital, but you never bothered to tell me how you met him or anything about him."

"Because it's none of your business."

"You know what I mean. We keep sidestepping things instead of actually talking about it. We keep acting like nothing has happened between us and that we're both fine with what happened between us. I'm not fine with what happened between us." She shook her head,

"I'm not either, Ben, but I don't know what you want me to say."

"I read the letter you wrote to my dad when we broke up." She sighed and looked away,

"Ben-"

"I want to talk to you about it."

"There's nothing to talk about!" She said, her voice now loud. She sighed again,

"I wrote that letter a long time ago, Ben. My feelings have changed, I've changed; there's nothing to talk about." He opened his mouth to say something, but a nurse came up to his bed and put her hand on Allison's shoulder,

"Allison, is everything okay over here?" She looked at Ben and nodded as she stood up,

"Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just going outside to get some air."

She stood up and he sighed and called her name, but she ignored him and went through the doors outside. He sighed again and lied down, now as confused as ever.

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><p><strong>Hmmmm, excited to see what's going to happen? Me too! Even though I already know what's going to happen haha. Please review! :)<strong>


	46. Chapter 45

****Another update! I think you guys are really really going to like this one! Not going to give anything away, so cue reading. ****

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><p><strong>Chapter 45<strong>

The next three months were some of the easiest months he had had in a long time. Though there was still pain in his leg and his side, the pain had almost disappeared in his shoulder. The only time it hurt was when he slept on it wrong and when he moved it a certain way. As the weeks and months progressed, the pain decreased and he was able to walk better and without Allison's assistance.

The night he had tried to talk to her about their relationship, she went outside to 'get some air' and didn't come back for the rest of the night. He fell asleep that night, wondering if he shouldn't have even brought it up; what good did it do? He decided he would apologize to her when she came in the next morning, but she never came in; on that day or the next. On the third day of her being absent, he finally saw her come in with her nurse's outfit on. He sat up, much quicker and easier than he had since he had been admitted. As soon as she got closer, she smiled,

"Well, it looks you've gotten better since the last time I saw you."

He smiled and nodded but, when she got to his bed, he saw something that almost shocked him. Allison must have noticed that he had seen the bruises because she covered her arm with her hand and sighed,

"Ben-"

"What happened to you?" She shook her head,

"It's nothing, I just had an accident."

"Allison, why do you have bruises up and down your arm and scratches on your face?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Ben, please just drop it." He knew there was something to it; why was she being so defensive about it if it was only just an accident? Suddenly, something hit him,

"Did Jeremy do anything to you?" She looked at him, with a disgusted look on her face,

"What? Of course he didn't, why would you ask me something like that?"

"I was just making sure. We're not together anymore, but I'd still beat up anyone who put their hands on you." She smiled,

"I know you would, Ben." She sighed,

"Well, I guess we ought to stretch your legs some; how about a walk?" He smiled and nodded, glad that she was back,

"That would be nice."

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><p>As the weeks continued to go by, she started spending more and more time with him after her shifts. He also told her about everything that had happened to him since they had broken up. He told her about all of the missions he had gone on and the many leaves he had spent with his father. He told her they had gotten pretty close; with the fishing trips they took at the beach house and just spending time together in general. He told her about meeting the new neighbors that had moved in beside them and the cookouts they had had. He never told her about Lilah though; he never saw a need to.<p>

Aside from the missions he went on, he told her about all of the recreational things he did while on the base. He explained how he exercised on the base every morning and told her about having to run at 5:00 in the morning for three months. He told her that they were only allowed one phone call a month, which she already knew and that he had gotten in trouble when he told the general that he had to make a second phone call in the same month. He told her it was when he had called her and told her that they had extended his term for another four years. She smiled when he told her this and she shook her head,

"Gosh, that was one of the worst phone calls I've ever gotten."

"I know, it was one of the worst phone calls I've ever had to make. I was so scared of what you were going to say." She nodded as they were walking beside each other. He was now well enough to walk on his own; Allison still walked with him though, keeping him company as always.

"I was upset, no doubt about it. I was scared, too, of what was going to happen. But I was willing to wait for you; I didn't think I had a choice."

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><p>They had developed a routine; in the morning, they would take a walk around the hospital and, lately, had begun walking outside and sitting down on the benches, enjoying the fresh air. After their walk, they would go back inside and, depending on the day, they would play a card game or a board game. He always had fun when they played games; especially Monopoly. He had never really liked Monopoly growing up, but it was something about playing it with Allison that made it fun. They laughed every time the other would land on their houses or hotels and, even though they had played it a million times, it never got old.<p>

After they played either a card or a board game, she made him get some rest, even if he was wide awake. He usually slept for about an hour, then she would come back and they would eat dinner; she usually packed him something before she left for work in the morning. After they ate, they would go for another walk and sit outside, and then come back inside. By that point, her shift was over. She would go back to her apartment and change clothes and then come back and sit with him and just talk.

In the five months he was there, they talked about every single thing possible. They relived a lot of their old memories and the new ones they had made together. Also, he had noticed that she still came in with bruises. She never told him how she had gotten them and, as soon as they would heal, she would come in with new ones. She tried to hide them; wearing a lot of long-sleeve shirts and makeup. He knew something was wrong and he begged her to tell him, but she refused, blaming the bruises on her clumsiness. He wondered if she was lying to him when he asked if Jeremy had put his hands on her and had asked her multiple times again, but she swore that he had never touched her.

As the end of his fifth month being there was approaching, he was nearly fully recovered. He could walk normally; without a cast and without a limp. He still had scars on his legs and you could still see the three bullet holes; the two in his side and the one in his shoulder, but those were the only physical injuries he still had. He no longer felt pain in his side, shoulder, or leg.

On the last day of October, he was visited by one of his generals. They talked for a few minutes; his general congratulating him on fully recovering and news of what was going on. They had found out that it was in fact the Iraqi's that had attacked the base. It wasn't totally set it stone, but the general was 99% sure that they were going to war. He informed Ben that, since he had made a full recovery, he was being shipped to Afghanistan on November third for his final term in the Air Force.

"So I have three days to get ready, sir?" He nodded,

"Yeah, enjoy it, Carter."

"I will, sir, thank you."

The general nodded and turned and walked past the beds and through the doors. He saw Allison coming towards him; since it was the morning, it was the first time he had seen her today. He smiled and sat up and said,

"So, apparently, I'm fully recovered?" She nodded as she walked over to him,

"Yeah, I let the head nurse know last night before I went home. What did your General say?"

"Nothing much, just-" As she got closer to him and into the light, he saw something that clearly wasn't there the night before.

"Allison, what happened to you?" She shook her head,

"It's nothing; I just tripped over a book I left lying on the floor in my room."

"Allison, you don't get black and purple bruises covering your arms and scratches on your face from falling over a book."

"They aren't black; they're just a little blue."

"That's not the point!" He yelled, standing up from the bed,

"You've had bruises on your body for three months now. Tell me what's going on." She shook her head, tears starting to fill her eyes,

"I can't, Ben." He took a step towards her and put his hand on her shoulder,

"Allison, in the past five months, we've talked about everything under the sun; you can tell me anything." Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she looked down. She continued to look down and didn't say anything for a while. She finally whispered, without looking up,

"Jeremy." He raised his eyebrow, not believing what he had just heard,

"What?"

"Jeremy's the one who's been giving me these bruises." She slowly looked up at him. He took a deep breath, now full of rage and anger. He had known this entire time that it was Jeremy, but did nothing about it.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me every time I asked you?" He yelled.

"Because I knew you would react like this! I know exactly what you're thinking, you're thinking about going to go beat him up, but I'm not going to let you."

"It's not your decision." He let go of her shoulder and walked around her, heading for the doors that led outside. She grabbed his arm while he was walking,

"Ben, stop it! This has nothing to do with you!" He whipped around to face her,

"Nothing to do with me? Allison I told you I would kill anyone who ever put their hands on you!" He said, yelling. She opened her mouth to say something, but the head nurse came up to them,

"What is going on here? You two stop this immediately or take it outside; there are sick patients here!" Allison shook her head, looking in his eyes and ignoring the head nurse,

"You don't love me anymore, so why should it matter who puts their hands on me?"

He raised his eyebrow and she let go of his arm and walked around him, heading through the doors. He turned around to follow her, but saw someone that got all of his rage boiled up inside of him; Jeremy was coming through the double doors. His nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth in anger, trying to restrain himself. If he hit Jeremy, they would kick him out of the Air Force and probably do something worse than that.

When he came in, Allison stopped. Jeremy began to walk towards her, but she went around him and headed outside. Jeremy called her name and was about to follow her when Ben reached him. He had a collared shirt on and Ben grabbed him by the collar with both of his hands and slammed him up against the wall,

"If you ever put your hands on Allison again, I swear to God I'll kill you." Jeremy yanked away and Ben forced himself to turn around and follow Allison. Jeremy was about to follow him when a group of nurses grabbed him. Ben turned around and saw Hollie smile at him and wink. He smiled and turned and ran out after Allison.

It took a few seconds to catch up to her; she was already across the grass when he got outside. He ran across the grass, calling her name. She didn't turn around and, when he caught up to her, he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She had an angry expression, but tears were flooding her eyes.

"What do you mean I don't love you?" She scoffed,

"Come on, Ben, be serious. We've been sitting in that hospital for five months and you haven't made any indication that you're still in love with me at all. You're the one who broke up with me, remember? I was willing to wait forever for you and you threw it away. You broke my heart and I pleaded and begged you to change your mind. I told you I loved you and I was willing to do anything for you and you know what you did? You hung up on me and you crushed my heart. How can you do something like that to someone you love?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks now and he sighed, knowing he couldn't hold the truth from her any longer,

"Allison, I did it because I love you. I didn't want you to suffer anymore and continue to be sad all of the time. I wrote to your mom and asked her to tell me the honest truth about how you were doing while I was away. She told me about the depression medicine and the fact that you cried yourself to sleep every night. Do you think that I wanted to keep doing that to you? Your life was a living hell while you were with me and I couldn't keep doing that to you. I knew it would hurt you at first when I broke up with you, but you would eventually get over it. And you have; you moved to California and you have a job doing what you love; you're not sad and depressed anymore. That's all I wanted for you; all I wanted was for you to be happy. I loved you so much and I loved you enough to let you go. That's why I did it, not because I didn't love you, but because I wanted to see you happy. I wanted you to get everything you wanted and deserved; things I couldn't give you." He sighed, getting tears in his own eyes,

"I did it because I love you. I love you so much, Allison."

He took a step towards her and pulled her towards him and kissed her. He kissed her more passionately and with more love than he thought possible. When his lips met hers, it was like the three and a half years that they spent apart no longer had meaning.

She was surprised, but she quickly got over it and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to meet her. His hand tightened in the fabric along her back, pulling her in as close as he could to his body. She leaned into him as he deepened their kiss; he brought his hand up to her cheek and continued to kiss her, trying to erase the three and a half years that he had spent without her. She finally pulled back and ran her fingers along his cheek and looked up at him,

"All I wanted was you, Ben." He smiled and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned in and kissed her again. While they were kissing, he heard a plane's engine and a buzzing noise. He pulled away and she looked up at him,

"What's wrong?" He let her go and turned around just in time to see a swarm of foreign planes, headed straight towards them. His heart dropped and he barely managed to yell,

"Allison, get down!" before the sound of shooting filled the air.

He turned around and Allison screamed as the sound of bombs exploding filled the air as well. She threw herself on the ground and covered her head and he threw himself on top of her, trying to protect her from any bullets that might come near them. The sound of bombs going off and the sound of buildings exploding and planes shooting were deafening. Ben knew that the hospital he and Allison had just come out of was now up in flames and under attack. He heard the planes fly over and, amazingly, none of the bullets had hit them. Ben looked up and watched them fly by and off into the distance. They kept straight and didn't turn around to make another attack and he knew it was over.

He stood up and helped Allison off of the ground. She now had tears streaming down her face and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her tight and looked at the hospital. The whole building was up in flames and Ben watched in horror as people, both patients and nurses, began pouring out, clutching their throats for air. He let go of Allison, knowing what he had to do. He put both of his hands on her shoulders,

"Stay here, okay?" She looked up at him,

"What? What are you doing?"

"I have to go help get everybody out." She shook her head,

"What? No, you're not going in there; it's too dangerous!"

"Allison, I have to. What if I was the one stuck in there? Wouldn't you want someone to come in and save me?" She looked down for a second, then nodded and looked back up at him,

"Be careful."

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><p>He nodded and let her go and started running towards the burning hospital. People were still running out and he had to push his way through them. He finally got to the doors and he pushed them open. The smell of smoke overwhelmed him and he could barely see. Numerous beds were on fire, as well as all of the walls. He took off his jacket and put it up to his mouth so that the smoke didn't fill his lungs. He looked around and didn't see anyone at first, but, as he walked towards the center of the hospital, he faintly saw two people lying on the ground underneath one of the beds. He went over to them and bent down beside them.<p>

He saw that they were both nurses and that they were huddled up beside each other. They looked at him as he bent down beside them. The roar of the fire was so loud that when he yelled to them to come with him, they couldn't hear him. Parts of the buildings were collapsing under the extreme heat and he took his jacket off of his mouth and handed it to both of them. He motioned with his hand for them to follow him and he helped them up and led them towards the doors that led outside.

They dodged some of the debris that had fallen and Ben had sweat pouring down his face, his stomach, and his back as they got closer to the doors. They were almost to the doors when Ben heard a voice yelling for help. He stopped and turned around, but didn't see anyone through the smoke. The nurses stopped and Ben told them to go ahead and get out and he turned back around to try and find who had yelled for help. He still didn't see anyone and then he heard them yell again. He could barely hear them over the roar of the fire and he yelled,

"Keep screaming so I can find you!"

He heart them scream again. This time, he could pinpoint where he was. He went towards the back of the hospital, where the flames were even worse. The heat and smoke were almost unbearable and he could barely see. The man yelled again and it seemed louder, so Ben knew that he was close to him. He yelled one last time and Ben looked to the right and finally saw him.

A big piece of wood was lying on top of him and Ben bent down beside him and finally saw his face. It stopped him for a minute when he saw Jeremy lying beneath the wood. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and, despite the anger that he had towards him he put his jacket on the wood so he wouldn't burn himself and tried to push it off of him.

"Jeremy come on; help me push this thing off of you!"

Jeremy was weak but, with both of them pushing, they finally managed to get it off of him. Ben grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up, but he was too weak and Jeremy wasn't helping at all.

"Jeremy, come on, get up!" He yelled, over the roar of the fire. The building was starting to collapse even more and Ben knew they didn't have much time was left before the whole building was going to come down. Jeremy wasn't responding and he grabbed his arm again,

"Jeremy, get up!"

"I can't move my leg!" He finally yelled. Ben took a deep breath, feeling his lungs begin to close up. He knew Jeremy couldn't move and he was drifting in and out of consciousness himself. He bent down and grabbed Jeremy's arm and leg and put him on his back, over his shoulders. He had Jeremy's arm in his right hand and his leg in his left.

Though Jeremy was a pretty small guy, Ben was weak and had a lot of trouble carrying him all the way to the front of the hospital. Debris was constantly falling and the flames had gotten bigger. His vision started to get blurry and it felt like months before they finally reached the front of the hospital. The door handle was blazing hot and it burned his hand as he pushed the door open.

The sun was blinding and he felt the cool air sweep over him. His vision was still blurry, but saw a crowd of people start running towards him. Before he could take a step, they were already beside him. Up close, he saw that they were all paramedics and three of them pulled Jeremy off of his back and the other three led him to an ambulance. His vision started to clear up and he started to come back into his right mind.

They led him to an ambulance off to the right, past dozens of firefighters, trying to put the fire out. When they got to the ambulance, they opened the back doors and he sat down on the back. One of the paramedics started asking him dozens of questions and another one grabbed and oxygen mask and put it on him. He immediately began breathing easier and answered all of the paramedic's questions. He was still sweating and he asked if anything was wrong with him.

"No, I think you're going to be just fine. You have some dirt marks on your face and burn marks on the palm of your hand, but other than that, you're fine."

"What about the other two nurses that came out? Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're fine. You did good, Mr. Carter. That was one of the bravest things I think I've ever seen."

He sat in the back of the ambulance for a few minutes while one of the paramedics put a few small bandage patches on his face and wrapped his hand where he had gotten burnt. When she was done, Ben thanked them all and stood up and looked at the building, watching it go up in flames. He looked back at the crowd of people behind him, looking for Allison. He spotted her amongst a group of other nurses, hugging all of them and looking at the building in horror.

He began to walk across the parking lot towards her. She didn't see him at first but, as he drew closer, she saw him. She had tears in her eyes as she let go of the nurses and began to run towards him. When she was close enough, she threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up and heard her say,

"Oh, God, I thought you were still in there."

She pulled back and he continued to hold her in the air as she put both of her hands on his face and kissed him. He put her down and brought his hand up to her face, still kissing her, and kissed her with more love and heart than he ever had. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled away and put her forehead to his and closed her eyes and whispered,

"Will you come with me?" He kissed her head softly,

"Anywhere." She opened her eyes and looked up at him and smiled,

"Will you come to my apartment with me?" He looked at her and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, knowing exactly what was about to happen. He nodded,

"I'll go anywhere with you."

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><p><strong>Awww I love this chapter so much! Hope you guys enjoyed it!<strong>


	47. Chapter 46

**Remember last chapter when I said I loved typing up that chapter? Well I absolutely LOVED typing up this chapter. I think this might have been my favorite chapter thus far to type, so you know it's going to be good. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Reminder: This story is rated M for sexual situations and scenes of torture. **

**Just had to throw that in there for disclaimer purposes. Now you can enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 46<strong>

She smiled and kissed him again as the firemen behind them yelled that the fire was under control. They both turned around and the building was barely even on fire. Allison turned back to him and he smiled as she took his hand and led him past the crowd of people and to a row of cars. She got her keys out of her pocket and let his hand go as they got into her car. He got in the passenger's seat as she started the engine.

It only took a few minutes to get to her apartment. She lived right down the street from the hospital and they held hands as they drove. When they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment, she drove past a few of the apartments, and then pulled into one of the smaller parking lots. She parked the car and they both got out. They walked up to a door and they went inside where there was a set of stairs. They walked up them and there was a door to the left and one on the right. Allison got out her key and unlocked the one on the left, which led into her apartment.

It was a small two-bedroom apartment and they walked into her living room when they came in. There was a couch against the right wall and a coffee table in front of it with a few magazines and a vase of flowers on it. There was a small T.V. against the left wall and the kitchen was further back into the apartment. There was a hallway that led further into the apartment beside the T.V. going off to the left side of the apartment.

"It's not much, is it?"

"No, I like it, it's nice; it's more than I have, I still live with my dad." She smiled and laughed and he said,

"Speaking of my dad, do you think I could call him? I need to let him know that's going on."

"Of course, there's a phone in the kitchen."

"Okay, I won't be too long."

She nodded and he went to the kitchen and picked up the phone and dialed his number. He had called his dad when he had first gotten to the hospital five months ago and told him that the base had been attacked and that he was in the hospital. He had called him a few more times and updated him on his recovery and this was going to be the first time he had talked to him in at least a month. It rang a couple of times and it rang some more until it finally went to the machine. Ben hung up the phone, not bothering to leave a message; he would try again later. He put the phone back on the counter as Allison came into the kitchen,

"You already talked to him that fast?"

"No, he didn't pick up. He's probably still at work, I'll call him later." She nodded and he smiled and walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled, too and put her arms around his neck.

"I love you." He whispered. She smiled,

"I love you, too, Ben." He leaned in and kissed her and she put her arms on his neck, bringing him down to meet her.

They kissed in the kitchen for almost five minutes before she pulled away and reached for his hand. She led him through the living room and down the hallway to her bedroom. He smiled as they walked in,

"This is nice."

"You like it?" He nodded,

"Yeah, it's very cozy." She smiled,

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

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><p>She smiled again and lifted her head and, without another word she kissed him, brushing her lips softly against his once, then twice, before meeting them for good. His arms moved up her back as her mouth opened. She brought one of her hands to his face, smiling as she felt his rough stubble beneath her fingers. She then traced the stubble with her lips and Ben responded by moving his mouth to her neck and kissing it softly. He brought his lips to hers again and kissed her passionately. They kissed for a few minutes before she began to tug at his shirt. He felt her touch on his bare skin as she pulled off his shirt and goose bumps covered his stomach. He lifted her shirt and she unbuckled his belt. She took off the rest of her clothes and they met again on her bed.<p>

They made love slowly and passionately, the three and a half years they spent apart slowly being erased from both of their memories. Throughout the night, Ben whispered to her, his fingers always intertwined with hers, as if trying to convince himself that she was real and he was really there with her. He kissed her lips and her neck and she ran her hands up his back and against his neck and pulling him down close to her, making sure the distance between them was minimal.

When they were finally finished, he held her in his arms, whispering in her ear how much he loved her. They made love a second time and, afterwards, they lay awake, simply staring at each other. He smiled,

"You need your rest." She smiled and ran her fingertips over the stubble on his cheek,

"I don't want to go to sleep yet. I want to lay here beside you."

"I'll still be here when you wake up."

"Do you promise?" He smiled and kissed her forehead softly,

"I promise."

* * *

><p>They spent the entire next day lying in her bed, wrapped in each other's arms. They kissed and laughed throughout the entire day and into the night. They also talked about the real reason he had broken up with her. He already told her but he explained the letter he had written to her mom and the response he had gotten back from her. He told her he had gone back and forth trying to decide what he was going to do and how he had kept the letter for almost a week after he had written it and then finally sent it. He told her it was the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life and apologized to her again, swearing that, after this term, he would never leave her again.<p>

They made love again that night and fell asleep in each other's arms. They woke up early the next morning and he lied beside her and watched her as she slept. He watched her for about ten minutes before her eyes fluttered open. When she saw him staring at her, she smiled,

"Good morning." He smiled and kissed her forehead,

"Good morning." She stretched her arms and then snuggled up beneath his rm. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Despite how much I want to, we can't stay in the bed all day again." He heard her say. He pulled away to look at her,

"And why is that?"

"Because I need to stretch my legs and get out of this apartment. I need the fresh air and I'm not going to get any lying in this bed. Plus, I haven't peed in hours."

"Well, go pee then." She smiled and flipped over on top of him. She put her hands beside his head, on both sides, trapping him. She looked down at him,

"I'm going to do that, I'll be right back."

He smiled and, as she went to get up, he grabbed her by the waist and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back on the bed. She laughed and he kissed her neck as she flipped her over on the bed, now on top of her. He looked down at her,

"I don't think so." She smiled,

"Ben, let me up, I have to go to the bathroom."

He smiled and shook his head and leaned in and kissed her. She smiled and brought her hands up to his cheeks and pulled him down to her. While they were kissing, he started tickling her sides. She immediately pulled away and started laughing,

"Ben, stop, you're going to make me pee on myself!" He laughed and put his head down and snuggled up to her neck, trapping her. She continued to laugh and he stopped tickling her and pulled back to look at her,

"How are you doing?" She smiled and laughed,

"I'm good, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing good." She smiled again,

"That's good."

"Mhmm." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her. They kissed for a minute before she pulled away,

"Okay, I really do have to use the bathroom." He nodded and moved off of her,

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss before getting up and going down the hallway to the bathroom. He smiled and lied back down and closed his eyes for a minute. He said a little prayer, thanking God for keeping them safe while the hospital was being attacked. He also thanked God for bringing Allison back to him. He finished praying and then felt someone crawl onto the ed. He opened his eyes and Allison crawled on top of him and laid her chin on his chest. He smiled,

"I love you." She smiled and leaned in and kissed him,

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>They lied in the bed for a few more minutes before they forced themselves to get up. They went in the kitchen and he helped her cook some breakfast. He got out her griddle and cooked some pancakes while she put some bread in the toaster. Ben only had on his jeans and, while he was standing over the griddle, grease popped off of the griddle and onto his bare chest. He immediately yelled and stepped back away from the griddle. Allison turned around and came over to him and put her hand on his shoulder,<p>

"What? What happened?"

"Some grease popped on me"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, looking down at his chest. She looked at him for a minute, then laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I missed you, I'm so glad you're here." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist,

"I missed you, too. You have no idea how glad I am to be here with you again. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you. You don't know how bad I wanted to write or call you and tell you how much I love you."

"You should have; I would've flown anywhere to see you."

"I wanted to, but I didn't know what was going on in your life or if you would even talk to me." She smiled,

"You know I love you." He smiled and nodded,

"I know, I love you, too."

They finished cooking and ate on the couch, snuggled up beneath the blanket and watched T.V. while they ate. When they finished eating, Ben went and took a quick shower while Allison got him some clothes. When he got out of the shower, he went to her bedroom and she was laying the clothes on her bed. She turned around when she heard him come in.

"He always left clothes here when he would spend the night." She said, sitting down on the bed. He put on the jeans and short-sleeve shirt and sat down beside her.

"You never told me why he gave you all of those bruises."

"No, I didn't, did I?" He shook his head and she sighed,

"I would cancel our dates to come and spend time with you after my shifts. I always told him that I had things I had to work on, but he eventually found out that I was lying. I came home one night and he was here and he asked me where I had been. I told him that I was working on something and helping more of my patients and he- he hit me, right out of the blue. Since then, he would just get into these mad, jealous rages and he'd take it out on me." He shook his head in anger,

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" She laid her head on his shoulder,

"Because I knew you would be angry and I knew you would go find him and kick his tail." He laughed and nodded,

"You're right, that's what I wanted to do." She smiled and then raised her head off of his shoulder and looked at him,

"Why did you save him then?" He looked at her,

"Well, I couldn't just stand there and watch him die. Despite the anger I was feeling towards him, I couldn't let that outweigh what I knew was right." She looked at him and then smiled,

"You have the biggest heart of anyone I know."

"I do, don't I? It's ridiculous." She smiled and laughed and leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back and then pulled away,

"You know I have to go back the day after tomorrow."

"Then I guess we better spend as much time together as possible, huh?"

* * *

><p>They ended up going on a mini road trip that lasted nearly six hours. They put in her Paramore C.D. and jammed with the volume turned up for the most part of the day. They ended up just driving all over, admiring the scenery and singing at the top of their lungs. They drove down long and winding roads. It was unusually cold, especially for California, so they rode with the windows up and the heat on low.<p>

They drove for nearly six hours, stopping to eat lunch at a Burger King for about thirty minutes. They ended up getting back to her apartment at about 4:30. By the time they got back, they had listened to every one of Paramore's C.D.'s except one. When they pulled into the parking lot and parked the car, she smiled and said,

"Well we managed to listen to five C.D.'s full of Paramore."

"Yeah, that was fun."

"Too bad we didn't get to Brand New Eyes." He shrugged his shoulders,

"Well, we can listen to it while we cook dinner; I saw a radio in your kitchen earlier, right?" She smiled and nodded,

"Yep, good idea, let's do it."

He grabbed the C.D.'s and they got out and raced each other up to her apartment building. He got to the door first and opened it and closed it really fast and held the doorknob so she couldn't get in. The door was mostly a big window so he laughed as he saw her trying to open the door. He smiled and put his nose up against the door as she yelled to let her in. He shook his head and she held up the keys,

"You can't get in without me!"

"Just slip them under the door!"

"Oh yeah, very likely."

He smiled and let the doorknob go and she rushed inside and up the stairs. Before he knew what happened, she was already up the stairs and unlocking the door to her apartment. He ran up them behind her but, as he got to the top, she had unlocked the door and she rain inside and closed the door, locking it.

"Oh, you're hilarious, come on, unlock the door."

"Nope, I don't think so. I think I'll let you stay out there for a while. Do you see how it feels?" He smiled and nodded,

"Yeah, I see, will you open the door?"

"Nope." He smiled again and shook his head and looked through her peep hole, but didn't see anything.

"Allison, come on! I have your Paramore C.D.'s and it wouldn't affect my conscious at all if I just happened to toss them down this huge flight of stairs." The door immediately opened,

"You wouldn't dare." He smiled,

"No, I wouldn't. I had to get you to open the door somehow, though."

"What makes you think just because I opened the door that I'm going to let you in?" He raised her C.D.'s in the air,

"Because I have these." She looked at him for a minute and then smiled,

"Fine, come in."

"Thank you." He walked inside and put her C.D.'s on the counter in the kitchen and, when he turned around, she was leaning up against the kitchen wall,

"You wouldn't have thrown my C.D.'s down the stairs." He smiled and shook his head,

"No I wouldn't' have. You wouldn't have kept me outside." She smiled and walked over to him and slipped her arms around his neck. She shook her head,

"No, I wouldn't have."

"Good."

She smiled and rolled her eyes and he laughed and leaned in and kissed her. He brought his hands to hold her face as his kiss became less playful and more demanding. She pulled him with her as she leaned back against the kitchen wall. His hand fell to the small of her back, where he pulled her in closer to his body. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled away and smiled,

"You know, people might get the wrong idea if they see you staying here with me again tonight." He kissed her neck and whispered,

"Then tell me to leave." She smiled and shook her head as he brought his face back to hers and claimed her lips once again. They kissed for a while before she pulled away again and whispered,

"I never want you to leave me again." He smiled as he kissed her forehead,

"I never want to leave you again."

* * *

><p>They cooked dinner together and, like they had planned, listened to their final Paramore C.D. They cooked spaghetti and corn on the cob with French bread and sweet tea to wash it all down with. They sat across from each other at the table, avoiding the subject that was obviously on both of their minds.<p>

After they ate, they washed the dishes and then went and cuddled up beneath a blanket on the couch and watched T.V. for a couple of hours. After they watched T.V., they had still not talked about it and as they went back to her bedroom to go to sleep, she said she had to go to the bedroom. He nodded and went back to her room and took off everything except for his boxers and crawled into her bed.

While they were watching T.V., her phone had rung at it was his father. Allison answered and handed Ben the phone and, as soon as he said hello, his father exclaimed,

"What are you doing with Allison?"

He told his dad about everything; the hospital being attacked and him going in to save the two nurses and Jeremy. He told him that he told Allison that he still loved her and that he had spent yesterday and today at her apartment. His dad was surprised, but congratulated him and was glad that he was happy again. His dad also told him that he had gotten a letter from the Air Force saying that Ben was scheduled to return back to his old base in Afghanistan on November 3rd, which was tomorrow. He would go from California to Wilmington International Airport and then to Afghanistan.

Since it was a connecting flight, he wouldn't be able to see his dad. It had been almost ten months since he had seen his dad and it would be another nine months before he would see him again. He missed him a lot and was sad that he wouldn't be seeing him again until his term ended. He decided to write more letters to him while he was gone and told him, before hanging up, that he loved him.

While he was thinking about all of this, Allison came in and changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed beside him and asked,

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just about my dad. By the time I see him again it will have been nineteen months since I've seen him last."

"Wow, that's crazy. I know you miss him, I miss him, too. He was so nice and welcoming." He nodded, but for some reason, he remembered the first time he told him about her and how against the relationship he was.

"You know the first time I told him about you, he didn't want me seeing you?" A curious and sad expression came over her face and he quickly said,

"No, no, it wasn't you; he didn't want me to be in a relationship, period. He didn't want someone; in this case you, being in a relationship that was so difficult. He didn't want you getting hurt with me being away for nine and even eighteen months at a time." She nodded,

"He was right." He looked at her and she continued,

"It was difficult; it took a toll on me emotionally and, at first, I couldn't sleep at night." He looked away and nodded and she scooted closer to him. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her,

"But I can't imagine living my life without you. The past three and a half years without you were harder and filled with more pain than the months we spent apart when you were away. I made it through those months because I knew that I would see you again. I read your letters every night while you were away and that's what kept me going. But knowing that I wouldn't see you again and not knowing if you were dead or alive? I'd rather go the rest of my life, just getting letters from you, than relive the past three and a half years without you. You told me you wanted me to be happy and to not be in pain anymore. Ben, you were the thing that made me the happiest. Living without you brought me more pain and sadness than the months we spent apart. The past five months with you have been the happiest months in three and a half years. Just talking and being with you made me happy and now that I'm with you again? I don't ever want you to leave again; I love you too much."

He smiled and stared at her, knowing he loved her more now than he ever did if that was even possible. He leaned in and kissed her softly and held her close, whispering how much he loved her. After he held her for a while, he pulled back to look at her,

"I'm going to miss you. Do you know that this is the longest amount of time we've spent together the entire time we've known each other?" She smiled and nodded,

"I know. I've loved every second of it; I'm going to miss you, too. But, just think whenever these nine months are up and you come home, me and your dad are both going to be waiting for you; I'm moving back to Wilmington." He looked at her and then got a huge smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She laughed and, though he was happy he pulled back and said

"I don't want you to go back to Wilmington and leave your home in California just for me."

"California's not my home. You were right; there were tons of things left for me in Wilmington. I want to be in Wilmington with you and your dad and I want to sing with the church again. This was the place that I ran to when I was running to get away from everything. I'm tired of running and I want to be in Wilmington, waiting for you to come back." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her. She smiled and then asked,

"What time does your plane leave tomorrow morning?"

"10; we better leave here at 9. You said it takes about fifteen minutes to get to the airport, right?"

"Yeah, I'm going to set the clock for 8:00, okay?"

"Okay." She rolled over and picked up her alarm clock off of the end tale and set it for eight. She then rolled back over to face him and smiled,

"I love you, Ben." He smiled, too, and kissed her forehead and then her lips,

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>They fell asleep in each other's arms and, though Allison had set the alarm at 8, he ended up waking at 7:30. He couldn't go back to sleep, so he quietly slipped out of the bed trying not to wake Allison. He went down the hallway and went into the bathroom and took a shower. He got out and put his Air Force uniform on; he didn't have any other clothes at the time. He went in the living room and sat down on the couch and watched T.V. until he heard Allison come down the hallway. She was still half asleep and her hair was wild. He smiled,<p>

"Good morning." She yawned and came and sat down beside him,

"Good morning, did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I woke up about thirty minutes ago."

"Okay, well I'm going to get in the shower."

He nodded and she gave him a quick kiss before going back down the hallway to the bathroom. She finished getting ready at about 8:55 and they left precisely at 9. There was more traffic than they expected so; instead of taking fifteen minutes to get there it took twenty five. By the time they parked and walked inside and sat down, it was already 9:35. They sat beside each other and held hands, not really say anything. At about 9:45, he looked at her and she already knew what he was thinking.

"It's time for you to go, isn't it?"

He nodded and they both stood up as she sighed. He opened his arms and she put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist and held her close, whispering how much he loved her. He felt her begin to cry and he pulled back to see tears falling down her cheeks. She laughed, sadly,

"I told myself I wasn't going to cry. I don't think it's possible when you're saying goodbye to the person you love, though." He gave her a sad smile and held her close again,

"I'll write you more than I ever did, okay?" She nodded and he leaned in and kissed her. He put his forehead to hers,

"I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Ben. I'll be waiting for you when you come back."

He smiled, too, and kissed her one last time before forcing himself to let her go. He picked up his bag and turned around and walked through the terminal, already ready for these nine months to be up.

* * *

><p><strong>:) I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed typing it. I thought it was adorable... anyway, the next chaptersparts of the story are going to be very interesting. Excited to get it typed up! Until next time! Please review!**


	48. Chapter 47

**New chapter, holla! I think you'll be surprised at how this chapter ends. Gah, let me hush. Cue reading!**

**A special thanks to MrsSaraLeugers for favoriting and for the review! You rock! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 47<strong>

The next nine months were both the hardest and the easiest months he's ever been away. It was hard being away from Allison, especially after spending five whole months with her. It was the easiest because he got her letters twice and even three times a week. He knew she would be there waiting for him when he got back and that helped him get through the months without her.

When he arrived on the base, he was told that the United States had gone to war with Iraq and that the entire base had been practicing getting ready for the war. He was also told that Ethan had survived the attack on the base in California, but was seriously injured and wouldn't be returning back to the Air Force. He was sad when he heard his; Ethan had become his best friend and he now had a room to himself, with no roommates.

Though a bunch of his other friends were still on the base, he secluded himself from everyone. He would occasionally go down and have a beer with Dylan and his friends, but he had not enjoyed it as much as he had in the past. He often stayed in his room, reading either letters from Allison and his father, or books that he had found on sale in the town nearby.

He had also found a MP3 player that he had gotten for pretty cheap at a local market. He sent it to Allison, who put all kinds of music on it for him. When he got it a couple of days later it had every one of Paramore's and Led Zeppelin's songs, along with other bands she knew he liked. He listen to it every night before he went to bed and remembered all of the times he spent playing the guitar and jamming out in Allison's car with her.

Though he spent a lot of time in his room and thinking about life back in Wilmington he still had a job, now more than ever. They now practiced every day, practicing how to target enemy planes and how to shake them if they ever got one on their tails. They had also set up an obstacle course, which Ben thought was completely pointless. If they were going to be sent on a mission, they would be in a plane, in the air, not on the ground shooting at people.

He was also picked for guard duty, which he hated. It was the most boring job but they had allowed him to listen to his MP3 player, but not too loudly. He did it maybe two or three times a month and he sat outside the base, watching for anything that seemed suspicious.

* * *

><p>He was sent on a mission within two months of being back and was sent on three more in the months that followed. They were mostly pretty easy but six months after he had gotten back, he was sent on one of the most dangerous missions he had ever been on. The mission was to fly in, with seven other pilots, and land three miles away from a deserted town that, they believed, was harboring a dangerous fugitive. There was an underground place where they had tracked the man down to and it was their job to find him and kill him.<p>

Ben was surprised when he heard the details of his mission. It didn't sound like a job that someone in the air force would have, but he didn't say anything to anyone about it. He wrote to Allison and his dad both and explained the mission he was going on. They both wrote back and told him to be careful, Allison asking him to please not do anything that would put him in more danger than he already was. They told him they loved him and on, May 6th, six months after he had gotten back they headed out towards the deserted town.

He flew with seven other pilots, each carrying two people. The spot they were to land at was about thirty minutes away and, from there, the town was about three miles away. They left the base at 2:00 in the afternoon and carefully landed in a huge field at about 2:35. After everyone had landed safely and gotten out of their planes, all fourteen of them headed towards the town three miles away.

It took about an hour to reach the abandoned town. There were only a couple of guys ahead of him, meaning he was at the front of the group. As they neared the town they stopped and went through their plan again, making sure everyone knew what to do. When they finished going over the plan they advanced into the deserted town. Some of the buildings were falling apart and it looked just like what you would see in the movies.

They progressed through the open buildings of the town. There was a huge path in the middle of the town with torn-up buildings on both sides of the part. They moved cautiously through the buildings on the right, watching out for possible snipers or anyone that could be hiding. They made it through most of the town unnoticed before they heard someone scream in a foreign language and heard a gunshot. Someone from their group dropped to the ground and, before Ben could turn around, shots were firing all around.

They immediately ducked down behind one of the broken walls and used it as protection from the gunshots. There were guys from his squad yelling and screaming and there was chaos as three guys went back to recover the guy's body, but got hit as well and dropped to the ground, dead. Ben looked at his squad and there was panic and confusion written all over their faces. Their squad leader finally took charge and yelled,

"Alright, we have to fire back! If one of us gets killed, do not stop firing! We have to get out of here!" Everyone nodded,

"Okay, on 3. 1- 2- 3, fire!" They put their guns on the broken wall and used it for support and pulled the trigger, opening fire.

The sound of gunshots, both from Ben's squad and the attackers, were deafening. The shooting continued to go on for at least ten minutes before it slowly died down. All of the smoke slowly dissipated and Ben saw his squad for the first time since the shooting started. 13 members were fighting with him when they first began shooting and now there were only five men still standing, including Ben. All five of them stood up and one of them asked,

"What happened?"

"They're all dead."

"We've got to keep going." His squad leader finally said.

"How do we know there aren't more of them? They probably alerted everyone underground; it's no use."

"Yes, there is." Ben finally said,

"If we don't get this guy, these men will have died for nothing. Turning back now would defeat the whole purpose and I'm not letting these guys die for nothing." They stopped for a minute and the squad leader said,

"Carter is right, we've got to keep going guys, we're almost through the town."

They picked up their weapons and despite what the fourth guy had wanted to do, made their way through the rest of the town, keeping their eyes open for any more snipers. They made it through safely and the squad leader used his binoculars to see the entrance to the underground bunker. How he spotted it was beyond Ben but, as they progressed through the dirt and sand, they slowly came up on it.

The entrance was a rectangular metal door in the ground. They were surprised that the bunker wasn't more heavily guarded and they figured that it had been abandoned. One of his squad members made the mistake of grabbing the handle and pulling open the door of the bunker. As soon as he pulled it open, they all heard shots and he dropped to the ground, dead. Two Iraqi's came out of the bunker, guns in their hands, but, before they could turn around, Ben and the rest of his squad yelled and opened fire on both of them. They both dropped dead and they heard yelling come from deep inside the bunker.

"Quick men, get back to the town!"

They all turned around and ran quickly back through the town and halfway back to their planes before they stopped, out of breath, and looked behind them. They saw and heard no one and they put their hands on their knees and caught their breath. They started walking back to their planes and they finally reached the. They had brought seven planes with fourteen squad members; there were now four people left, Ben included. They would have to leave three planes here and bring back people to fly them back to the base.

They got in the planes and began to make the trip back to the base. When they saw the runway, Ben said a small prayer, thanking God for keeping him safe. They landed the planes and taxied them into the hangar, one after the other. When they all landed, they got out and were forced to go tell the head officer that only four men returned.

* * *

><p>Two days after they had returned from their mission, the base sent men to go and bring back the planes that were still in the field; they chose men that didn't go on the original mission. After the mission had taken place, he had begun to have nightmares. He had nightmares for almost a month before he finally told another guy that had been on the mission. When he told him the guy laughed. Ben raised his eyebrow,<p>

"What's so funny?" he shook his head,

"Nothing's funny, it's just all the guys that wen on that mission have had nightmares. We were starting to think you were the only one who came out unscarred. We've all had to talk to a therapist about it; I'm surprised they haven't forced you to see one, too."

"What? Why didn't you guys tell me? I've been having them ever since we went on the mission a month ago."

"Well why didn't you tell anyone, Ben? We didn't want anyone looking at us differently and treating us like we were freaks. We eventually told one of the generals and he got us to meet with a therapist three times a week. It's really been helping; you should think about getting one, too." Ben nodded and Josh asked,

"Have you told anyone at all? Your dad or your girlfriend? Anyone?"

"No, no one; I didn't want to worry anyone."

"You need to tell someone; go talk to the general and he'll get you a therapist. You should tell someone close to you, too; your dad or your girlfriend."

"Okay, thanks, Josh."

After talking to Josh, he went and told the general about his reoccurring nightmares. It took him a couple of days to get everything situated and set up but, by the end of the week, Ben met with his therapist. It was a little uncomfortable at first but, after the second session, he began to get used to it and was able to talk about the nightmares and his feelings about them.

He had also taken Josh's advice and told Allison about his nightmares. She was concerned and upset that he had not told anyone about it sooner. He told her everything was fine and, though she was still concerned, she believed him.

Like he had promised the day he left, he had written her more letters than he did when they were together before. He forgot how much he loved reading and waiting for her letters. Since he had left seven months ago, her friend had helped her find an apartment in Wilmington as well as a job nursing at the same hospital she had worked at before. She had moved back to Wilmington three months after he had left. Her apartment was off of Seventeenth Street, less than two miles away from the hospital. Since she had lived in L.A., she was used to the city and quickly adapted back into the Wilmington lifestyle. Her apartment was about fifteen minutes away from his dad's house. As soon as she had gotten back to Wilmington, she went and visited his dad for an entire day. She told his father about seeing Ben again in the hospital in California and being his nurse for five months.

_I opened up to him and told him things that I've been holding back for a long time. You were the first person I really talked to since my mom died and I can't tell you how much that meant to me to have you there with me. We talked every single day for five months; it was the longest amount of time that we've ever spent together and I know that it was just a sample of what's to come when your term is up. Those five months were so special and it allowed me to finally open up to someone and tell them how I'm truly feeling. I'm so glad that person was you, Ben, but, since you've had to go back, I've opened up to more people and I think that by you pushing me to be open with more people, I finally let myself do just that. _

_Life has been so much more enjoyable and…happy since I saw you lying there in that hospital bed. I wasn't glad to see you hurt; I don't want anything bad to happen to you, you know that. But I knew that you being hurt in that accident and being placed in that particular hospital and, even in that particular bed, that it wasn't a coincidence. We were meant to be together, Ben, I believe that more now than I ever did. I'm sitting here writing this letter, with Paramore playing in the background. Every time I hear them, I think of you._

_Do you remember when I went to go audition at the church with you and they turned us away because they had found everyone that they were looking for? I was ready to walk out and just give up, but you wouldn't let me. You went up on that stage and begged them to hear me sing and wouldn't take no for an answer. All I could do was stare at you and I honestly thought that you were going crazy. I didn't understand why you were doing that, just for me. I didn't understand until I got home and told my mom what happened. When I told her everything and told her I didn't understand, her only response was, 'It's because he loves you, honey.' It was the simplest answer, but that's what made me understand. And I think I knew that in the back of my mind. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you._

_I didn't care if I had to wait nine or eighteen months to see you. I would wait forever for you, Ben. That song that I sung at the church that day still reminds me of you. I can't hear or sing it without your face coming into my head. You mean so much to me and you always will. We have two more months to go until your term is up. I don't want you to focus solely on that, though. You still have a job to do and I completely understand that. Focus on your job and keep safe. But when that day finally does come, it'll be the best day of my life. Nothing can tear us apart now, Ben, I love you so much. Keep safe and be careful._

_Love,_

_Allison_

* * *

><p>He went on more missions in the last two months of his term than he had in his last two terms combined. They had continued to track down the man they had lost in the bunker, but kept getting false alarms. They tracked him for two months and while they were tracking him, they sent Ben and his squad, as well as other squads, on other missions; most of them following leads on their guy. All of them had been false alarms until they had finally tracked him to the mountains. Ben was outside at the mailbox, mailing off a letter to Allison, when he heard Dylan calling his name. He turned around and saw Dylan running up to him.<p>

"Ben! They found him! The squad found him, come on!"

He ran with Dylan to the office where the general and a big group of other airforcemen were. They went inside where they could hear the walkie-talkies. One of the men that were in there informed them that the squad that had been sent to follow a lead had zeroed in on their guy and finally found him. There were four F- 16's, each carrying three men and they stood in the office, listening to them over the walkie-talkies.

They were panicking because the Taliban had found out they were coming and got in planes and were right on their heels. The squad was trying to shake them off, and had been for the last thirty minutes. The men were yelling and cursing and there was total silence in the room as they listened to the walkie-talkies.

All of a sudden, the men started yelling that their engines had caught on fire and that their planes were all descending rapidly. Everyone in the room looked to the general and he had a blank face as the men on the walkie-talkies yelled that they were headed straight for the ground. In less than five seconds, the men yelled one last time and then they heard explosions and heard the men no longer. Everyone was speechless and didn't know what to say. All eyes were on the general and everyone was quiet until the general cleared his throat and said,

"Aright, everyone back to your barracks. Now! Go!" Everyone looked at each other and began to file out before the general added,

"Everyone except for Nicholson and Carter."

They all looked at Ben and Dylan and they both looked at each other. Everyone, again, began filing out of the building and, soon, Dylan and Ben were left alone with the general. He brought his hands together and addressed them both,

"Okay, we have a serious situation here, boys. Those men are dead; they were killed in action and everyone in this room heard them die. We need to make sure they don't die for nothing, all right? I'm sending you both to take over the mission and find our guy." Ben and Dylan both looked at each other and Dylan said,

"But sir-"

"I don't want to hear it. They're going to expect me to send multiple squads down there, but I'm not going to do that. They won't expect one plane with two men to come. I chose you two because y'all work well together and y'all are two of my best men. Now, go get suited up and meet me in the hangar in five minutes."

They ran to their rooms, changed into their uniforms and met the general in the hangar as quick as they could. When they all got there, the General said,

"Alright, boys, here is the latitude and longitude we have for him. For all we know, he could've moved but we'll keep you updated on everything, okay? Good luck boys, let's get him."

Ben and Dylan were still shocked about everything that had happened and that the two of them alone were being sent to finish the mission. The place they were going was in the mountains, about forty- five minutes away but, since time was of the essence, Ben flew as fast as the F-16 could go. Ben was flying and controlling the plane while Dylan was his co-pilot. They figured, as fast as they were going, they could be there in thirty minutes. While they were flying, they were radioing back and forth to each other talking about what might happen and how dangerous it could become in an instant.

"You only have one more month left, don't you, Ben?"

"Not even; I only have two more weeks."

"What? That's it?" He nodded,

"Yep, just two weeks."

"That's crazy; you're not coming back are you? This is your last term, right?"

"Yeah, this is it."

"Man, I know you're excited." He laughed,

"Yeah, I can't wait, but now I'm just praying we stay safe on this mission; we're halfway there."

* * *

><p>They continued to fly for about five more minutes and they began to see the mountains appear in the distance. They flew for a couple of more minutes until, out of nowhere, four planes came out from behind the mountains, headed straight towards them. Ben's heart sank to his stomach, as did Dylan's. They were both in shock and it wasn't until Dylan yelled at him that he swerved the plane to the left, trying to shake them. Dylan looked at him and yelled,<p>

"What are you doing?"

"We have to try and shake them! We can't be near the mountains or we'll crash!"

"But that's where our guy is!"

"I don't care where our guy is! I'm trying to keep us alive!" As soon as he yelled, he heard shots begin to fire. Dylan looked behind them, and then yelled,

"Ben, they're right on top of us! You've got to do something!"

Ben began to panic and he suddenly couldn't recall of the training he had been through for cases like this. The four Iraqi planes were right behind them and they began firing again. Ben tried to dodge them and successfully shook off one of the planes, now leaving three. He continued to dodge them and they finally came out over a huge vacant field. The field stretched for hundreds of miles and he tried to shake the planes. Dylan was panicking and radioing the base, telling them that they were being followed and shot at by three Taliban planes.

After they had dodged the Taliban's bullets for almost twenty minutes a round of them finally connected with the plane's engine. They heard a loud explosion behind them and they both yelled as the plane shook violently.

"Oh, God, this is it! This is it!"

"Dylan, shut up, we're going to get out of this!"

They then heard another loud explosion behind them as more shots from the Taliban were fired. This time, the plane started to rapidly descend and hurtle towards the ground. Ben's heart was in his stomach as he realized that they were going to crash with the plane hurtling towards the ground at 120 miles an hour. He closed his eyes as Dylan was radioing the base. The last things he thought of before they crashed were his father and Allison.

* * *

><p>He woke up having no idea where he was. For the first few minutes, he had forgotten about everything that had happened. As he slowly started to come to, he remembered and looked around to see where he was.<p>

He was in a huge field and, scattered all around him, were burning pieces of the plane. The biggest piece of the plane that was still together was ablaze and, only then, did he remember that Dylan had been with him. He looked around and didn't see him anywhere.

"Oh, Jesus."

He tried to get up quickly but a surge of pain shot through his arm. He looked down at it and his sleeve was wet with blood and he saw a piece of shrapnel in his forearm. He hadn't even felt it because of the adrenaline running through him. He could feel it now and he prepared himself and held his breath as he grabbed the shrapnel by the edge and quickly pulled it out. He felt a surge of pain shoot through his whole arm and he screamed in pain as blood began to pour out. He tore off a piece of his other sleeve and wrapped it around the wound.

He then stood up and began looking for Dylan. There were pieces of the plane scattered everywhere and he yelled Dylan's name multiple times but he didn't hear any response. He went over to the largest piece of the plane that had part of the cockpit still intact, but didn't see anything. He called Dylan's name again and this time, faintly, he heard his voice. It was off to his right and he started yelling his name again.

"Dylan, keep screaming so I can find you!"

He stopped for a minute to listen and he heard him yell again. He knew he was close and walked around a piece of the plane and finally saw him. He was lying near the piece of the plane and, as Ben neared him, he saw something that made him stop.

As he looked at Dylan; a huge piece of shrapnel was in his stomach. He lent down beside him and saw that there was blood everywhere. Dylan was drifting in and out of consciousness and Ben focused on his face instead of the shrapnel. Ben squeezed his hand and he turned towards him. His face was bloody also and Ben asked,

"Hey, man, how are you doing?" Dylan just stared at him and then, faintly, said,

"I don't want to look at it." Ben looked away and Dylan asked, now crying,

"How bad is it, Ben?"

"Dylan-"

"How bad is it?" He asked again, grabbing Ben's arm. Ben looked at his stomach and saw all of the blood. Tears found their way to his eyes as he realized that Dylan wasn't going to make it. He looked back at Dylan,

"It's pretty bad, man." Dylan looked away and continued to cry as Ben took his hand,

"Look at me; you're going to be fine, all right? I'm going to go get help and we're going to come back and get you, okay? You're going to be fine." Dylan shook his head and then, for the first time, looked down at his stomach. He saw the shrapnel and immediately looked away and began crying harder. Ben looked away and Dylan grabbed his arm,

"Just go." Ben looked back at him and raised his eyebrow,

"Dylan I'm not going to leave you, okay?" As soon as he said this, they heard foreign voices in the woods, less than a mile away.

"Shit." He heard Dylan whisper. Ben knew they were in trouble now. Dylan grabbed his arm again,

"Ben, go; I can't get up and I'm not going to let you get killed. Please, just go!" Ben looked away and Dylan yelled,

"Go!" Ben grabbed his arm,

"I'm going to go get help, okay? You're going to be fine."

Dylan nodded and Ben gave him a quick hug, tears now in his eyes, as foreign voices got louder and tons of Taliban soldiers came out of the woods. They all saw the pieces of their plane and began screaming in Arabic. As much as he didn't want to, he let go of Dylan's hand and got up and started running towards the woods on the opposite side of where the Taliban were coming out of. They saw him stand up and run and they began to run after him while yelling to the other soldiers in Arabic. He then heard gunshots behind him and he ducked, continuing to run as fast as he could.

He finally reached the woods and he ran behind a tree to try and hide. He turned around for the first times since he had started running and he saw about ten soldiers huddling around where he knew Dylan's body was and he knew he was dead. There were about five or six other soldiers scattered around, looking, and he stood behind the tree until he saw them immediately begin to run in his direction. He didn't know why they had all suddenly started to run to him but he didn't stick around to find out.

He ran for about twenty minutes through the woods. He didn't know where he was going, but he continued to hear the Taliban's screaming behind him and that was enough to keep him running. He ran until he was out of breath and he found cover behind a huge boulder near a stream and tried to catch this breath. He could still hear the soldiers behind him, but their voices were far off. He put his hands on his knees and finally caught his breath. He was about to begin running again but he figured he'd try and peak around the side of the boulder to see if he could see any of them.

He tried to gather himself. He couldn't believe that this had happened and things had spiraled out of control so quickly. He didn't know what to think and he didn't know what he was going to do. He took a deep breath and thought of Allison and his father. He said a quick prayer, asking God to help him get through this, and peered around the side of the boulder.

It was starting to get darker now, though he couldn't say what time it was. When he peaked around the boulder, he could see beams from the soldiers' flashlights and saw that they were still a ways away from him. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes and turned back around, leaning his back up against the boulder. When he finally opened his eyes, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

He didn't know what was happening but, as he looked around, he saw Taliban soldiers standing around him- their guns pointed straight at him. He looked back at the man that had his gun pointed at his face, thinking that he was going to shoot him any minute and that his life was going to be over.

He never believed it when people said that your whole life flashes before your eyes the moment before you die, but he was proven wrong at that second. His whole life did flash before eyes and he saw his mother and all of the wonderful things they ever did together. He also saw Jeff, Tyler, Ethan, Dylan and all of his fellow airforcemen that he thought he would never see again. He saw his father and all of the memories he had with him; their fishing trips and the time they spent together at the beach house. Finally, he saw Allison.

Their entire seven year relationship flashed before him and he saw the first time they met, the first time they kissed, their first major argument and the first time they shared themselves. He saw her walking towards him in the nursing station and he saw them standing in the airport before he had left to come here.

All of these things flashed before him and he felt a surge of peacefulness and happiness as he heard a man say something in Arabic. He heard a gun go off and he felt pain radiate through his leg and felt a rock slam over his head before he saw black.

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><p><strong>Oh no! Was I right? Were you surprised? I think you'll be even more surprised at the direction it takes beginning next chapter. Don't want to spoil anything, so i'll just leave it at that! Hope you guys liked it! Please review!<strong>


	49. Chapter 48

**Whoo next chapter. Getting more and more reviews in both on this website and on fanfiction. Excited :D And, guess what? I just started the last notebook! So the story is kind of reaching the end. But there's still a bunch of stuff that still has to happen! Kind of bittersweet. But, anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Reminder: This story is rated M for scenes of torture and sexual scenes**

**And in the last chapter, the edit totally butchered MrsSaraLeugers screenname. Anytime there's a period in the screenname, it like deletes half of the name for some reason. it's retarded. But, anyway, thanks MrsSaraLeugers for reviewing and favoriting!**

**mihaela: Oh wow, I didn't know that! A big thank you to them for serving too! And i'm glad you're enjoying it! :)**

**McaGirl13: Yayayayyay! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 48<strong>

He didn't think that he had made it but, shockingly, he came to. He couldn't see anything and he tried to move his arms, but they were tied behind his back. He was standing up and only then did he feel the massive amount of pain in his leg. He remembered hearing a gun go off in the field and he figured one of the Taliban had shot him.

He couldn't see and he didn't know if they had blinded him or if they had covered his eyes with something. Since his hands were tied behind his back, he couldn't find out if his eyes had been covered. He could hardly move and he panicked and began to yell for help,

"Somebody! I need help here!"

He yelled twice before he heard movement. He stopped yelling and listened as the footsteps rapidly got closer. The footsteps stopped right in front of him and he then felt someone punch him in the jaw. He heard a small cracking noise and he would've fallen down had his hands not been tied behind his back; his back was against a pole and his arms were tied behind that. He listened for more footsteps and listened to see if anyone was going to talk. It seemed like forever until he heard someone say, in a foreign accent,

"I wouldn't scream again if I were you." The voice had come from not even three feet in front of his face.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He yelled. As soon as he yelled, he felt someone punch him in the stomach. It knocked the breath out of him and he felt someone grab the collar of his uniform and the top of his head. The man said, through gritted teeth,

"I told you not to scream. Now, you are going to stand here and you're going to shut up. Do you understand me?" He was still trying to catch his breath and he knew he had to oblige. He nodded and the man patted his head like a dog,

"Good. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."

"What? You're going to-" The man came and punched him in the jaw again before grabbing his collar,

"Hey! I told you to shut up and not say anything. Now, like I said, I'm going to check on you tomorrow."

The man let his shirt go and Ben heard him walk across the room and he heard a door close before it became quiet once more. His mouth was bleeding where the man had punched him and he spat the blood onto the ground and tried to regain himself. He still couldn't see and he didn't know how much time had passed since he had been in the field where his plane had crashed, or where he even was.

He managed to scoot his hands down the pole and managed to sit down .The ground was made of wood and he had no idea where he could be. He took a deep breath and all he could think to do was pray. He first of all, thanked God for letting him survive the plane crash and that he survived everything he had been through thus far. He asked God to please keep him safe and to please let his angels be with him. He then thought of Allison and his father.

It had been nineteen months since he had seen his father and he couldn't imagine his general going to his father's house and informing his father that his son had been killed. His father, no father for that matter, deserves to hear that kind of news. But it was Allison that took up most of his thoughts.

He wondered what she was doing that second and wondered if she had felt that something was wrong. Wasn't the person you love supposed to somehow know that their loved one was in danger? He began to get tears in his eyes at the thought of his father telling her the news that he had been killed in action. He couldn't imagine it, especially after the fact that he had just gotten back together with her. Her face stayed in his mind and he made a promise to her, his father, and also to himself that he would not die in this place, wherever this place was.

* * *

><p>Amazingly, he managed to get a few hours of sleep. He didn't know what time it was, what the date was, or what day it was. The day of the plane crash was August 7th and it was a Wednesday. His term was scheduled to be up on August 22nd, which was just over two weeks. He couldn't believe that everything had happened right when he was supposed to get out.<p>

What he guessed was the next morning, he heard the door open and heard footsteps come into the room. He heard two sets of footsteps this time and he still could not see. He heard whispering and then felt someone stand him up by grabbing his collar and pulling him up. His leg was still in major pain from where he had gotten shot and also in his arm where the shrapnel had been. The man pushed him up against the pole,

"So, you're still alive, huh? That's good; we're going to need you."

He recognized the man's voice as the man who had come in the day before. Ben had gone through some sort of plan in his head of what he was going to do. It was a simple plan, really- he was going to oblige and do what they wanted. He looked up to where he thought the man's face was,

"Please, just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it." He heard them laugh

"We'll get to that. What's your name?"

"Ben."

"Ben what?"

"Ben Carter." He sighed,

"Well, Ben Carter, how long you stay here depends on you."

"Here? I don't even know where he is." The man grabbed his collar again and pulled him towards his face. He was so close that Ben could feel his breath on his face,

"You like to defy me don't you? You'll be all right as long as you shut up."

"Please, I don't even know where I am. I can't see anything and I don't even know what you want from me."

He heard the man sigh and then he felt him pull something off of his face, allowing him to finally see. His eyes quickly adjusted to the light and he saw the man and saw that he was Arabian. He had a full beard and Ben knew he was part of the Taliban. The other man that had come in the room, the one who had not said anything, was standing against the left wall. He looked like a younger version of the man standing in front of him, but with less of a beard.

He finally looked around and saw the room he was in. It was a very small room, not much bigger than a small walk-in closet. It was a dark room with only a small, dull light-bulb hanging down from the ceiling. There were shelves on both sides of the wall with cardboard boxes stacked on top of them. He looked down at his wounds and the bottom half of his leg that had been shot was covered in dry blood and his sleeve was also soaked with blood. He looked back at the man as he said,

"Alright, let's get down to business. Tell us what we want to know or suffer the consequences. That's it, that's all you need to do."

"What do I have to do?"

"Before we get into the details, I just want to let you know that you're a prisoner. You're a prisoner of war Mr. Ben Carter and that means we can, and we will, go to the most extreme measures to get what we want. What we can do to you will have you pleading for death. But all of it can be avoided if you just do one thing. You do one simple thing and we'll let you go." He brought his hands together and looked Ben in the eyes,

"Tell me who, where, when and how America is going to attack Iraq." Ben raised his eyebrow and shook his head,

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know. They haven't discussed anything like that at the base I'm stationed at."

The man brought his hands together again and looked down. He nodded and a sneer appeared across his face. He then, as fast as Ben had seen anyone move, pulled out a knife and slashed both sides of Ben's face. They weren't very big, but they were both, very, very, deep. It shocked him and he barely felt it at first, but then it began to sting. The stinging became worse as it remained an open wound. The man then got right in his face,

"That's like a bug bite compared to what we'll do to you if you don't rethink that answer. I'll be back in a hour to see if you've changed your mind." He opened his mouth to say something, but the man got up and walked out of the door. He called the other man out behind him and he slammed the door shut, leaving Ben alone in the barely- lit room once more.

* * *

><p>Ben didn't know what to think. He was willing to do anything to meet the demands of his kidnapper but he was asking a question Ben honestly didn't know the answer to. His generals didn't tell them anything of that night until just before they went on the mission. They would train for everything before getting the exact details of the mission.<p>

He didn't know what he was going to do. The man was very specific with his demands and he wanted to know what he wanted to know- nothing less. He hoped he could reason with him and he would believe that Ben really didn't know anything. He took a deep breath, knowing that his kidnapper wouldn't accept that as an answer. All he could do now was wait for him to come back in a hour.

The time ticked by slowly and, as much as he tried to stop himself, he thought about what his kidnapper had said and wondered what he was going to do to him. Though he was worrying about that, he was grateful that he could see and that the blindfold had been taken off of him.

He managed to sit down by sliding his arms down and he sat in the room for an hour, waiting. His stomach started to growl and he wondered how long it had been since he had eaten. He didn't know how long he had been there ad didn't know what time it was. Since there were no windows in the room, he didn't know if it was day or night time; he figured that it had been at least a day.

His kidnapper finally came back into the room and he figured it had been an hour. The other man that had come in before accompanied him again this time. He brought in a small fireplace of some sorts but Ben didn't have time to think about it. His kidnapper came in and got right to it,

"So, have you changed your answer?"

"You have the wrong guy; I don't know anything about it. If you let me go, I can get you to a person that can tell you what you want to know. I promise." His kidnapper smiled and turned around to face the other guy and said,

"You know what to do."

The guy nodded and came behind him and pulled him up by the arms and held him up as his kidnapper grabbed a metal piece of pipe off of the shelf and held it over the fireplace for a few minutes. Ben looked down and knew what was about to happen. He tried to prepare himself but he didn't have time because the man ripped off his shirt and put the blazing hot piece of metal against his chest. He immediately screamed for a second, then gritted his teeth and tried to hold it in as best he could. He held it against Ben's chest for about ten seconds and then pulled it away. Ben exhaled after holding his breath and looked up at his kidnapper. He figured he had to be in his thirties and remembered how young he looked up close.

"Let me ask you again; have you changed your answer?" He was breathing heavily,

"Please, I don't know anything, I-" The man cut him off and stuck the hot metal against the other side of his chest, this time for thirty seconds. He screamed again and gritted his teeth until he finally pulled it away.

"I can do this all night, Carter; it doesn't hurt me a bit." He looked up again at him, now breathing heavily,

"I'm telling you, you have the wrong guy! I don't know anything!" The man that was behind the pole and who was holding his arms, grabbed the little bit of hair he did have and pulled his head back. He grunted and his kidnapper came over to him and stopped right in front of his face. He pulled his pocket knife out and held it to Ben's throat,

"I told you to stop yelling. If you yell one more time, I'll slit your throat, you hear me?" He gritted his teeth again and nodded. His kidnapper nodded as well and pulled the knife away from his throat. He turned around, but quickly turned back towards Ben and punched him in the jaw. He then turned back around and walked to the door, but stopped in front of it,

"I'll be back tomorrow to see if you've changed your answer. Come on, Hashim, let him be."

Hashim, the man that was holding his head and arms, let go of them both and followed his kidnapper out and left him alone again. He was still breathing heavily and he knew that he was in a world of trouble.

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><p><strong>:O kind of a shocking chapter? Told you it could take a big turn. Anyway, hope you semi- enjoyed it? Haha :D<strong>


	50. Chapter 49

****whoo next chapter. Kind of a surprising chapter but, again, i'm not giving anything away. Cue reading :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 49<strong>

He ended up being held captive for two months. During those two months, he was tortured on a daily basis, in the worst ways possible. His body and soul were tortured as he realized that no one was coming to rescue him. He lost weight, but not as much as you would expect. Surprisingly, they gave him two meals a day. They gave him the choice of two meals a day or less harsh of punishment. He knew he could take the punishment but he knew he would die without food. All in all, he lost fifteen pounds while imprisoned, most of it in his belly.

His kidnapper, Shivam Hesai, gave him the worst kind of torture imaginable. More than a couple of times did he want to just give up and let them do whatever he wanted with him, but he forced himself to push through it. He never left the room for two months and had no idea how much time had actually passed.

Shivam Hesai had let him know a month into his imprisonment how much time he had been there and it was sickening to hear. Shivam and Hashim came into the room and both had whips in their hands. He was so weak, but knew that he had to be as strong as possible. Shivam looked at him,

"Well, Ben, you've been here for a month now. You've stayed alive longer than either of us expected. But we have so many ways we can break your spirit, you just have no idea." He took a small break and looked Ben up and down,

"You look like hell, you know that?"

"Actually I don't, there's not too many mirrors in here." Hashim's face turned angry and raised his foot and kicked Ben in the face. He would've fallen had his hands not been tied behind his back. Blood filled his mouth and he spat on the ground. Shivam laughed and twisted the whip in his hand,

"You're full of jokes aren't you, Ben? I would think you would've learned by now to not say stuff like that. That's alright though; as you can tell, I love torture so you're just fueling my fire. But, getting down to business, have you changed your answer yet?" Ben looked up at them, and then down at their whips. He noticed on Shivam's hand were a pair of brass knuckles. His nostrils were flaring as he said,

"You already know what my answer is. It's not going to change."

"Fair enough."

Shivam raised his fist and punched him in the jaw with the brass knuckles. His mouth immediately filled with blood again and he heard a cracking noise. He then looked back up at them, gritting his teeth in anger. They both looked down at him and then Shivam looked at Hashim and nodded.

Hashim then came over to him and dragged him up and turned him around, his bare back now facing his captors. His body was in tremendous pain as his chest was pushed up against the wooden pool. They then began to whip him simultaneously. He screamed for a second, then gritted his teeth and tried to push through it. They continuously beat him for almost five minutes until they stopped. Hashim came over to him and dragged him up, then slammed his raw and bloody back, back up against the pole. Pain radiated through his entire body as Shivam asked him,

"Do you have any family, Ben? And don't even think of lying to us." He was breathing heavily as he looked up at them. He didn't want to answer them but he couldn't take much more of the torture.

"I have a dad."

"What about a wife? You have any children?" He shook his head and Hashim raised his whip and slashed him across the chest. Shivam smiled,

"You're going to learn one day. So, you don't have a wife or kids; what about a girlfriend?" He looked away and Shivam raised an eyebrow,

"Oh you do, don't you? What's her name?" His nostrils flared. He couldn't tell them Allison's real name; they could go and find her and do something to her.

"Her name is Rebekah." Shivam looked at him, then raised his fist and punched him in the jaw with the brass knuckles again, then got right in front of his face,

"I told you not to lie to me." He stood up and looked at Hashim,

"Allison Johnson is a beautiful name, isn't it, Hashim?" Ben's stomach dropped,

"How do you know her name?"

"Because we know everything about her, Ben. She's a nurse at New Hanover Regional Medical Centre. She has long, brown hair and both of her parents are dead. She has one older sister and you have just recently gotten back together with her when she was your nurse at a hospital in California. How am I doing so far?" Ben's nostrils were flaring and he couldn't stop a few tears from filling his eyes,

"I swear to God, if you've touched her-"

"You'll do what? You're handcuffed to a pole in a closet. You have blood covering your body, you have hundreds of whip marks and you have three huge gashes in your face from these brass knuckles. I hate to tell you this, but you're not going to do a damn thing. We haven't touched her- yet. But we're not afraid to; just remember we know everything about her and you." They both turned around and walked to the door. He looked at them as they stopped in front of it and said,

"I'm begging you; don't bring her into this. What does she mean to you?"

"Nothing, but she means everything to you."

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><p>Before he had been kidnapped, he had only two weeks left in his term; two weeks until he could've gone home; two weeks until he could've seen his dad that he hadn't seen in almost two years. Two weeks until he could've held Allison in his arms again.<p>

Thinking about Allison was too hard for him to bear; she was also the thing that kept him alive. He had no idea what she was thinking and, at times, he thought about how she, as well as his father, were told that he was missing in action. He imagined their reactions and it pained him as much as the torture he was being subjected to.

The torture he was exposed to after that first month, and even before the first month, was unlike anything he had heard of before. It was like something you would see in the movies, only it was happening in real life and it was happening to him.

Along with his kidnappers burning him with hot metal, whipping him, and punching him with brass knuckles until he bleed severely, he was exposed to loud music and strobe lights for long periods of time. It became deafening and blinding and left his vision and hearing impaired for hours at a time. They left his chest bare and he went without a shirt for two months. He had bruises and marks from being whipped covering his chest, back, and legs.

Shivam and Hashim also smoked- as much as he had ever seen two people smoke. They used this to their advantage and it was another way they both tortured him. They would come in whenever they finished smoking, which was up to thirty times a day, and would burn him in various places with the still-lit cigarette. They alternated torture techniques every day, but always came in with the same question,

"All right, have you changed your answer?" He begged them to let him go and tried to get it through their heads that he honestly did not know anything.

Even with all of this torture happening to him, he maintained his faith. He prayed every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. He asked God to please keep him safe and prayed that his kidnappers would realize that he was telling the truth and, finally, let him go. He also prayed for his father and for Allison. He prayed that they were living their lives as normally as possible. He also prayed that they hadn't given up on him. They were the two people on this Earth that he was fighting to stay alive for- God being the one who was keeping him alive.

He had not seen himself since he had arrived and, almost two months after he had been kidnapped, they brought in a mirror. When he looked at himself, it was like looking at a stranger. He didn't recognize any part of himself and if he wasn't 100% sure that he was looking at himself, he would have sworn that it wasn't him.

His face had multiple scabs from being lit by the cigarettes and there was more hair on top of his head than would have been allowed in the Air Force. It wasn't long but his hair had just covered his scalp and he couldn't see it anymore like he could before. There were burn and whip marks covering his entire chest and back and blood covered his whole body. He was unrecognizable and he doubted that, if his squad or his dad or Allison were to come in right at that second, they would have no idea it was him.

* * *

><p>Exactly two months after he had been kidnapped, Hashim and Shivam came into the room and asked him the same question they had been asking him for the past two months, only this time, Shivam added on to the end.<p>

"Look, we've held you here and tortured you for two months. Did you know that? You've been here for two months to this very day. We're not getting anywhere and you're becoming a hassle. We're feeding you twice a day and you're not giving us the information that we want. Therefore, today is going to be the last day you're going to be here. You're either going to tell us what you should've told us two months ago or we're going to kill you. If you tell us the truth, the answer we want to hear, we'll clean you up and let you take a shower, we'll give you some food and let you go. But, if you don't, you're dead. It's that easy. Do you want to tell us now or do you want us to come back later?" Ben looked up at them and saw nothing but evil and hatred in their eyes. He knew what he had to do. He nodded,

"All right, I'll tell you everything we want to know." Shivam nodded,

"Go on."

"They didn't tell me directly, but I overheard them talking in their office one day. The Air Force and the Marines are teaming up to do a surprise attack on Iraq- in the biggest city, on December twenty-third. The Air Force is going to drop bombs on the city and the Marines are going to move in and take control of the city and take hostages. That's it; that's all I know." Hashim smiled and nodded, looking pleased, and Ben thought that his story had worked. Shivam, on the other hand, just looked at him,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

He nodded and looked at him for a minute before punching him hard in the jaw and reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pocket knife. He stabbed him in his arm and came right in front of his face,

"If you lie to me again, your death will be slow and painful, you hear me? I'm going to be back in one hour to hear your final answer. If you don't tell me what I want to hear, you're dead. I'll be back. Hashim, get him something to cover that stab and get out of here." Shivam walked out and Hashim tore off a piece of Ben's od shirt and wrapped it around his arm and left the room.

Ben was shocked to say the least. He thought his plan was going to work and he didn't expect it to backfire like it did. He was now bent over, trying to catch his breath with his arm in pain. His entire body had been in pain for the last two months and it would all come to an end in an hour.

* * *

><p>For the first time since he had been there, he began to lose it and break down. He began to get tears in his eyes and the only thing that he wanted at that moment was to see Allison one last time. He imagined what her reaction would be when she was told that they had found his body and that he had been killed in action. All he wanted to do was tell her he loved her and that he had loved her since the first moment he had seen her. Just hearing her voice would be enough.<p>

He prayed and thanked God for keeping him safe and alive for as long as he did. He prayed that his father and Allison would be able to move on and that they would forgive him for not making it.

He prayed over and over again and the hour seemed to fly by. It felt like it had only been five minutes when Shivam came into the room again. Ben looked up and Shivam said,

"Don't worry; you still have ten minutes left to think about your decision. But, we figured we could give you some persuasion in telling us the truth. Other than the fact that your life is on the line, we're going to let you make one phone call to anybody you want." Ben immediately looked up,

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, but don't think you're going to have a thirty minute conversation; you're actually not going to be talking at all. We're going to tie a piece of cloth around your mouth and I'm going to hold a gun to your head. You talk and you're dead, alright?" Ben nodded and, despite the fact that he couldn't talk, he was elated that he would be able to hear Allison's voice one more time. It was also bittersweet because he loved his father more than anything and hadn't seen him in almost two years, but he knew that he had to hear Allison's voice one more time.

"So, who's it going to be?"

Hashim came in and tied the cloth around his mouth while Shivam dialed Allison's number and held the gun to Ben's head. He put the phone up to Ben's ear and it was completely silent as the phone rang. For a reason he didn't quite understand, he was nervous and he prayed that she would pick up. It seemed like hours as the phone continued to ring but finally, she answered,

"Hello" When Ben heard her voice, he looked down and closed his eyes. He instantly got tears in his eyes and he wanted nothing more than to call out and tell her that he loved her.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He restrained himself and forced himself to not say anything,

"Is anyone there? I'm about to hang up." Tears slowly started to fall down his cheeks and he couldn't help but mouth that he loved her.

"All right, good-bye." He closed his eyes again as she hung up. Shivam closed the phone,

"Okay, you have five minutes to make your decision. I'll be back."

They both walked out of the room after removing the cloth that was around his mouth. He began to cry and he prayed one final time. Allison and his father were the only two things on his mind. Tears were still coming down his face as Shivam and Hashim came back into the room five minutes later. The fact that he had been crying seemed to have no impact on them. Shivam had an AK-47 in his hand and he looked at Ben,

"Well, let's hear it." Surprisingly, Ben was calm as he looked up at him,

"Don't you think I would tell you if I knew anything? Do you think I would rather die and leave behind the girl I was going to ask to marry and the father that I love than tell you the truth? I'm telling you, I don't know anything. If there was something I knew, I would tell you in a heartbeat. Please, I'm begging you to let me go. You know that I don't know anything and you know I'm telling you the truth." Shivam looked at him for a minute before finally asking,

"Is that it?" Ben nodded and Shivam sighed,

"Well, I'm sorry, Ben, but we're going to have to kill you."

Ben's heart sank and he closed his eyes as Shivam raised his gun. Ben had his eyes closed the whole time and wouldn't open them. He then heard a crashing noise and gunshots and, then, he fell.

* * *

><p><strong>:O Oh my gahh, what just happened? Guess we'll just have to see. This chapter was the end of Part 3, so next chapter begins Part 4 which isn't a long part at all. Then comes the epilogue! Exciting stuff. Hope you liked it! :)<strong>


	51. Chapter 50 Part 4

****Next chapter, whoop whoop! And can you believe this is the fiftieth chapter? Whaaa? How exciting. And this is the start of part 4. Double exciting! Hope you enjoy it :)****

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><p><strong>Chapter 50<strong>

"Allison, come on! Mrs. Walker needs that food tray right now!"

"Okay, I'm coming!"

Allison Johnson worked at New Hanover Regional Medical Centre in Wilmington, North Carolina. She had been living in Wilmington for almost a year after moving from Los Angeles, California. Her one bedroom apartment was about ten minutes away from the hospital and Wilmington was the place she called home. When people asked her why she moved back to Wilmington after living in L.A. for three and a half years, her answer was simple and always the same,

"Because someone special, someone I love, lives here."

She got the food tray from the cafeteria and ran it up to Mrs. Walker in room 202. She went into the room and a woman, probably Mrs. Walker's daughter, was sitting beside her. Mrs. Walker was now asleep and her daughter smiled at Allison when she walked in and motioned to the table beside the bed. She smiled back at her and put the tray beside the bed on the table. She checked her charts and her heart rate and whispered to her daughter,

"How is she doing?"

"Better; the heart attack really took a toll on her body and she's been having troubles ever since. Is that normal? I mean, the heart attack happened almost a year ago. Should she still be having all of this trouble?"

"Well, it's normal to have difficulties in the first year and a half to two years; if it continues after that, you should have her looked at more carefully." She nodded,

"Okay, thank you."

"No problem." She hung the charts back up and walked over to the blood pressure monitor and saw a picture frame on the windowsill. When she saw it, her heart immediately started to ache. The woman saw what Allison was looking at and picked it up,

"That's my brother, David. He's stationed over in Iraq and left about a month ago." She nodded and felt tears come to her eyes, but forced them back,

"My…my boyfriend's in the Air Force. He's in Afghanistan though."

"Really? David comes back in eight months. I'm already ready for him to come home. When does your boyfriend come home?" Allison looked away,

"He's, umm, he's missing in action." Her face became sad,

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." Allison nodded as a tear fell down her cheek,

"It's okay." She laughed embarrassedly,

"You're actually the first person I've told besides my sister."

"Really?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Wow, why me?" Allison shrugged her shoulder,

"I don't know, maybe because you kind of know what I'm going through, with your brother being away and all. I've wanted to tell someone for a while; I just didn't know how to bring it up." The woman smiled and patted the seat beside her,

"Come here, honey, come sit down."

She went and sat down beside her and started telling her everything.

"He was supposed to come back two months ago in August but two weeks before he was scheduled to come home, the Air Force informed his dad that he was missing in action. His plane had been shot down while he was on a mission. He was with another pilot and the Air Force found his body but they can't find Ben's. His father immediately came and told me what happened and, to put it lightly, I freaked. I instantly broke down right in front of him and hugged him for I don't know how long. That was two months ago and it still hasn't really sunk in. Every time I hear the phone ring I think it's them calling to tell me they've found his body." She looked down and tears fell down her cheeks. Jamie, the woman she was talking to, leaned over and gave her a hug,

"I'm so sorry, that has to be so hard." Allison pulled away and nodded, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. She laughed embarrassedly,

"You know what the weird thing is? I don't think he's dead. I know you're probably thinking 'of course she doesn't; who would want to think the guy they love is dead,' but I can feel it. I can feel him in my heart and I would know if I had lost him. I know everyone thinks he's gone and that he's dead. I know everything points to that conclusion, but I just know he's still alive." Jamie smiled and simply said,

"Then it doesn't matter what anyone says, does it?"

* * *

><p>She finished out her shift and left the hospital at 10:45. She drove back to her apartment and went upstairs and took a quick shower before putting on her pajamas. She went in her kitchen and saw that she had two messages in her voicemail. Her cell phone had died right after she had gotten to work and had just plugged it in to her charger.<p>

She made herself a glass of sweet tea and listened to the messages. The first one was from her sister, telling her that she had just gotten into town and was staying at the hotel right down the street. She said for Allison to call her whenever she got home from work.

"I don't care if you get off at 2:00 in the morning, call me! I want to talk to you! Love you, sis." Allison smiled and hung up before dialing Rachel's cell phone. It rang a couple of seconds before she answered,

"Hello?"

"Hey, sis, you up?"

"Hey, yeah of course! Did you just get off of work?" She nodded and took a sip of her tea,

"Yeah, I just got home about a half hour ago. And why are you staying in a hotel? I told you you could crash here."

"Well, I didn't know when you were going to get off so I just rented a room for the night. I'll stay with you tomorrow night."

"Okay, you leave Sunday, right?"

"Yeah, I can only stay tonight and tomorrow because I have to get back to work Sunday afternoon."

"Okay, well do you want to come over and hang out?"

"Allison, its 11:30 at night."

"So? I'm not tired and you're not tired and I want to talk to you." She laughed,

"Alright, I'll be over in a couple of minutes."

She hung up the phone and made some more tea. By the time she had made a pitcher full, she heard a knock on the door. She put it on the counter and went and answered the door. Her sister stood in the doorway and they both shrieked and smiled and hugged each other.

Her sister ended up staying the night at her apartment. When she got there, they went in the kitchen and she poured Rachel a glass of tea and they sat down at the table. Rachel told her everything that had happened since she had last talked to her. She said that she had met a man a couple of years older than her and he was very handsome. She had also got a new job at one of the new restaurants that had opened up there and that she was doing really well. Allison nodded,

"Good, I'm glad; you deserve it." Rachel looked at her and put her hand on top of hers,

"Allison, what's wrong?" She looked up and shook her head,

"It's nothing, it's just… I talked about him today."

"About Ben?" She nodded,

"I told this woman at the hospital."

"You told a random woman in the hospital something you won't even tell your friends?" She shrugged her shoulders,

"It just felt right; her brother is in the Navy and I felt she would understand."

"How did it feel to tell someone else?"

"It felt good actually. I told her that I didn't think he was dead and that I would've felt something if he had been killed." Rachel looked away and sighed.

"What? Why are you looking like that?" Rachel looked back up at her,

"Allison, you need to accept the fact that he's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"He's been missing in action for two months, Allison. Now I love Ben just as much as anybody but you know that no one could survive two months in enemy territory with no food or water." She looked at Rachel, surprised,

"Actually no I don't know that. You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. I believe he's still out there and that he's alive. Why would you tell me to give up on him?"

"I'm not saying give up on him, I'm just telling you, you need to try and move on; that's what Ben would have wanted." Allison shook her head in disbelief and stood up,

"I don't believe this. I'm going to bed; I don't want to talk about this tonight." Megan sighed,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's fine. Don't go back to your hotel; it's too late and it's dangerous to be by yourself this time of night. You can sleep with me or you can sleep on the couch; there are blankets in the hall closet. I'm going to brush my teeth, come to bed whenever you're ready."

* * *

><p>Rachel ended up sleeping on the couch. Allison slept in her bed and woke up the next morning around 8:00. When she woke up, Rachel was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Allison walked in and Rachel turned around,<p>

"Good morning."

"Good morning, how'd you sleep? All right?"

"Yeah, it was comfortable. I wasted sixty-five bucks on a hotel room though." She smiled,

"I told you to crash here, I don't know why you rented a room." Rachel shrugged her shoulders,

"It's alright. Hey, listen, I'm sorry about what I said last night, it was stupid."

"It's okay…you were right."

"I was?" She shrugged her shoulders and nodded,

"I need to move on; that's what he would've wanted." She stood there for a minute as tears started to come. Rachel sighed and came over to her and gave her a hug. She held her for a minute while Allison said, into her shoulder,

"I love him so much, Rachel." Rachel sighed and stroked her hair,

"I know you do, he'll be alright. He's got you waiting here for him and he wouldn't leave you here by yourself. He's strong, Allison, he's strong."

They held each other for a few minutes and then ate breakfast. After they ate, they cleaned up and Allison got in the shower. She got out and got ready while Rachel got in the shower. They both got ready; they planned to spend the day together. It was Rachel's only full day in Wilmington and Allison planned to take her out for a girl's day.

When they were both ready, Rachel ran back to the hotel to get her things and check out. While she was gone, Allison watched T.V. While she was watching T.V., she heard a knock on her door. She turned the T.V. off and went to the door, figuring it was Rachel. She opened the door and the person who was standing in her doorway was not who she expected.

"Mr. Carter?"

"Hey, Allison, how are you?"

"Umm, I'm good, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. You look surprised; you did know I was coming, didn't you?" She shook her head,

"No I didn't actually."

"I called you and left a message on your answering machine yesterday, didn't you get it?" She sighed and then remembered that she, indeed, have two messages.

"I'm so sorry, I checked my messages last night but I only listened to the first one; it was from my sister. She's in town for the day."

"That sounds like fun, is she here?"

"No, she went and checked out of her hotel. She should be back anytime, though." He nodded,

"Well, I'm not going to keep you but I wanted to give you something." She raised her eyebrow and then remembered her manners,

"Here, come in Mr. Carter."

"Thank you."

They went inside and he sat down on the couch and she sat down in the chair across from him.

"So, what is it you want to give me Mr. Carter?" He took a deep breath and she suddenly got worried. What if the Air Force had come and told him they had found Ben's body? It seemed like forever for him to answer and he finally said,

"I have a letter." She waited for him to add more and, when he didn't, she asked,

"Who from?"

"It's from Ben." Her heart jumped,

"What? When did you get it? Just now? Is he okay?" He held up his hands,

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's not recent. I received it a couple of days after he went missing in action." She nodded, disappointedly,

"Oh, what did it say?"

"I don't know, I haven't read it; it's yours." She looked up at him,

"What?" He nodded and pulled it out of his pocket,

"He must have put your letter in an envelope addressed to me accidently. I didn't give it to you because I thought it might be too much for you to handle. You were so upset and I didn't think it would be fair to give you something that would make you even more upset."

She was shocked and didn't know what to say. The fact that Ben had written her another letter before he went missing in action was shocking and she barely heard the rest of what Ben's father was saying. He finally sighed and handed her the letter and stood up. She took it and stood up with him. She gave him a hug and thanked him over and over again for bringing it to her. He nodded and pulled away,

"He loved you so much and I never saw him happier than when he was with you. I'll get out of your hair so you can read it." She smiled and hugged him again,

"Thank you, Mr. Carter."

"You're welcome, honey, I'll see you later."

"Okay, good-bye."

She walked him to the door and watched him as he got in his car and pulled out of the parking lot. When he pulled out, she closed the door and ran back to her living room and sat down on the couch. She took a deep breath and opened the letter.

_Dear Allison,_

_I know! Only two more weeks! I can't wait. I'm going to run to you when I see you and I'm going to hug you like you've never been hugged before. You've been warned, so prepare for it. I can't wait to see you and hold you and kiss you. Getting hurt in that accident was the best thing that could've happened. I got to spend five wonderful months with you and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I would do it 10,000 times over again if I knew you would be there with me, being my nurse. You're amazing and I love you so much. I think about you every day and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. We've gone through so much and, in two weeks, it will finally be over. I can't wait and I'm counting down the hours right now. I've got to go, but I'll see you in two weeks, all right? I love you so much._

_Ben_

When she finished reading the letter, she put it down on the coffee table and put her head in her hands. The tears were flowing so hard that she thought she wouldn't be able to stop.

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><p><strong>:( How sad. So now we're seeing things from Allison's point of view. Exciting stufff. I just looked and we're really close to the end. Very exciting! And bittersweet. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!<strong>


	52. Chapter 51

**Hey, hey, hey new chapter! There's only one more chapter after this one before the epilogue. Whaa? It's definatley bittersweet. We'll finally get to see how it ends, but then it'll be over :( But, for now, we're still going strong! Hope you enjoy!**

**A huge thanks to McaGirl13 for your amazing reviews. Haha I didn't even think about putting her into a mental institution, but that cracked me up. That would be a huge, huge shock. Even I would be shocked. Haha thanks so much for your reviews :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 51<strong>

She ended up crying until Rachel got back to her apartment, fifteen minutes later. She knocked on the door and Allison yelled that it was open. Her head was in her hands and tears were streaming down her face as Rachel came in.

"Hey, sorry it took me forever, this guy in front of me was being a jerk to the lady behind the desk and they had to get management and security- it was horrible." She was saying as she came in. She walked into the living room and only then did she see was crying,

"Hey, hey, what happened? Why are you crying?" She came over and sat down beside her and put her arm around her. She continued to cry and then, finally, said,

"Ben's father just left."

"Oh my, what did he want? Did he hear anything about Ben?" She shook her head,

"No, he brought me a letter."

"From who?" She looked down and picked it up off of the table and handed it to her,

"Ben accidently put it in an envelope addressed to his father. He got it a couple of days after Ben went missing in action and he didn't want to give it to me because he didn't want to upset me any more than I already was. It's a short letter but just knowing he wrote it right before he went mission just gets to me. Go ahead and read it." Her sister opened it up and read it quickly before sighing and putting it back on the table. Allison looked down and said,

"He had everything planned out and he was so set on coming home and being with me. I distracted him from his job; he couldn't focus on what he needed to do. Rachel, I'm the reason he's mission in action." Rachel raised her eyebrows and put both of her hands on Allison's face,

"Don't you dare believe that! What are you talking about? You had nothing to do with Ben going missing. A tragic thing has happened to him, for whatever reason that may be, and you couldn't have done one thing to stop it. If anything, you would be the reason he's fighting so hard to stay alive." Allison nodded as more tears fell down her cheeks,

"It's just, I didn't feel anything. Aren't you supposed to feel something when something happens to the person you love? I didn't feel a thing, Rachel."

"Allison, Ben loved you more than anything in the world; more than life itself is what he told me. And I know for a fact that you loved him with all of your heart. You two were crazy in love- a blind man could see that. Just because you didn't feel anything doesn't mean that you weren't in love or that it was your fault." Allison nodded again and Rachel held her as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

While they were hugging, Allison's phone rang. Rachel said she would answer it for her and got up and went in the kitchen to get it. She almost immediately came back into the living room.

"Hey, it's the director of music from the church; do you want to talk to him or do you want me to take a message?" She shook her head and wiped her cheeks,

"No, I'll talk to him, give it here." She handed her the phone and Allison answered,

"Hello?"

"Hey Allison, its Chris from the church."

"Hey Chris, how are you?"

"I'm good. I'm sorry to disturb you but I have to ask a huge favor from you."

"What is it?"

"Well you know we scheduled Amy to lead the worship this week. She said something came up and won't be able to make it to the 4:00 service. I was wondering if you would be able to cover for her." She raised her eyebrow,

"Chris that's tomorrow, I haven't even practiced."

"I know its short notice but you're the only one who can do it. They're both songs you've sung before and you've sung them a million times. I'll even run the C.D. by your house. Please? We need you." She sighed and looked down,

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Yes! Thank so much, Allison."

"You're welcome; you know how much I love the church, Chris."

"I know. Well, I'll be by there to drop off the C.D. in about an hour if that's okay."

"Yep, that's fine, I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and Rachel immediately asked what he wanted. She told her what their conversation was about and that he was coming in an hour to drop off the C.D. with the songs on it. Rachel sighed,

"Well there goes our afternoon."

"Hey, that's not true. I have so many movies we can watch until he gets here; then we can go hang out and have fun." She thought about it for a second and then nodded,

"Alright, what movie?"

* * *

><p>They ended up choosing A Walk to Remember. It was one of Allison's favorite movies, as well as one of Rachel's. Chris didn't end up coming until three hours later. By the time Allison heard a knock on the door, it was already 4:00. She and Rachel were both mad that he had taken so long and, as soon as Allison opened the door, he started apologizing.<p>

"I'm so sorry I'm late. There were things at the church that needed to be tended to and, on the way here, there was a huge wreck and I've been stuck in traffic for the last hour." She shook her head,

"Oh it's fine; I was just watching some movies with my sister. Do you want to come in?"

"Oh no, that's okay; I don't want to keep you. I'll just give you the C.D. so you can continue spending time with your sister."

"Are you sure?" He nodded, taking the C.D. out of his bag.

"Of course. So, here you go; you'll be singing two songs; two you know very well. We're not going to have another practice but I know you'll do great." She nodded and took the C.D.,

"Alright, thanks Chris."

"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, bye Chris."

"Bye Allison."

He walked back down the steps and out to the parking lot. She closed the door and headed back into the living room where they were now watching Baby Mama.

"Finally! We've been waiting for three hours!" Rachel exclaimed. Allison sat down on the couch,

"I know, but he said there were things at church that needed to be attended to and that there was a traffic accident on the way here. Its fine, this is fun anyway." Rachel nodded,

"I agree. So, what songs are you singing?"

"I don't know, let's find out." She turned the C.D. over and the second song that she was supposed to sing made her heart ache. She shook her head,

"I can't do this."

"What? Why not?"

"Look at the fourth song." She said, passing her the C.D. She looked down at it,

"What? Lead Me to the Cross? You sing that one beautifully!"

"That's also the only song that reminds me of Ben." Rachel sighed,

"Allison, really?"

"Yes, really. Do you even know why it reminds me of him?"

"No, why?"

"That's the song I auditioned at the church for so long ago. It was the audition Ben wouldn't let me leave after they had told everyone they weren't accepting any more people. He got up on the stage and begged them to hear me sing. He wouldn't let them say no because he knew how much it meant to me. They finally said yes and that's the song I sung. It was one of the sweetest things someone's ever done for me and I can't hear or sing that song without thinking of him and what he did for me. If I sing this song at church I'm going to think of him and break down in front of the whole congregation. I can't do it, I'm going to have to call Chris and tell him." Rachel shook her head,

"Oh, no you're not. Allison, you need to stop grieving. This used to be your favorite song to sing and it's stupid to let someone ruin that, even if that person is Ben. You know he wouldn't want you to let the church down just because you don't want to think about him. If you wanted to, you could relate everything back to him. For example, the grass; you and Ben lied in the grass and watched the clouds. A hairdryer; you used a hairdryer to get ready with before you went and saw him. See? You can relate anything back to him if you wanted to. But he would be so upset if he found out he was the reason you wouldn't sing at the church." Allison looked down and then smiled and looked back up at her,

"You're pretty awesome, you know?" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders,

"I know, so are you going to sing?" She nodded,

"Yeah, I'll sing. It's something I love to do, right?"

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the day watching movies. They finally fell asleep around midnight. Allison woke up at around 9:30 and ended up lying on the couch for about thirty minutes until she finally got up. Rachel was sound asleep beside her and Allison shook her, trying to wake her up,<p>

"Rachel, get up, it's already 10:00; you have to leave in an hour." Rachel rolled over and Allison shook her even harder,

"Rachel, get up!" She finally opened her eyes,

"What do you want?"

"Hey, I'm trying to help you out. You have to leave in an hour, right?"

"No, I leave at 11."

"That's in an hour, Rachel." She immediately sat up,

"What?"

"Yeah, it's 10:00; that's what I was trying to tell you."

Rachel immediately got up and took a shower and got ready while Allison watched T.V. About forty-five minutes later, Rachel walked into the living room with her bag in her hand. Allison stood up and Rachel looked at her,

"You're still in your pajamas?"

"Yeah, why? I'm not going anywhere until 3:00." She nodded and then said,

"Alright, well, I better head on."

"Okay." They both smiled and hugged each other.

"So, are you going to be okay today? At the church, I mean?" They pulled apart as Allison nodded,

"Yeah, I'll be okay. It's going to be hard, especially since I haven't practiced but I think I'll be okay."

"Yeah you'll be fine, just try not to think about him; practice in your room before you go. I wish I could be there for you."

"It's okay, I understand. And I will, I definitely have to practice before I get up there and sing in front of all of those people. But go ahead and go, I don't want you to have to rush."

"Alright, I'll call you when I get home."

"Okay, I love you."

"Love you, too." They hugged one more time before she picked her bag back up and walked out to the parking lot. Allison closed the door and started getting ready for the day.

She took a shower and got ready. It was surprisingly cool outside; it was mid- October, but it was unusual for the high to be in the mid- fifties. She finished getting ready and put on a pair of jeans and a brown sweater. She put on a pair of matching boots and decided to go to the grocery store. She made a list, like she always did, and put on a black pea coat and walked out the door.

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><p>She spent about an hour and a half and, by the time she got home and put everything up, it was already 2:00. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the church and she wanted to get there around 3:00 so she could have time to practice and get ready. When she finished putting up the groceries, she went back to her room and put the C.D. in her stereo. She listened to the other three songs and practiced the other song she would be singing- This is our God. Chris was right- she sang these songs a lot and This is our God was one of her favorites to sing. She sung it all the way through a couple of times and sung it perfectly.<p>

She knew she was avoiding listening to Lead Me to the Cross; she hadn't listened to it since the day Ben was reported missing in action. It was the only song that really reminded her of him and the song that instantly brought his face to her mind.

Finally, when she could put it off no longer, she turned it to the song. The outcome was nothing more than she expected. She managed to hold the tears back until the chorus. She tried to hold them back because she knew she would have to hold them back when she sung at the church.

Then, suddenly, she heard his voice. Though it was coming from inside her head, there was no doubt that it was Ben's.

"Baby, don't think about the bad, think about the good. You'll be fine, I believe in you."

When she heard the voice, she smiled and felt an overwhelming sense of peace. She started the song over and, even though she didn't sing, she was able to listen to it the whole way through without crying. Her eyes got tears in them but she didn't cry as she thought about the time she spent with Ben and the thousands of memories they made together. She didn't think about the fact that he was missing in action and she didn't recall the times they had to say good-bye.

She waited a couple of more minutes before she started the song over again, this time planning to sing. Being able to listen to it turned out to be the easiest part of the process. She ended up crying at the chorus and, even though she filled her thoughts with all of the good memories, there was a voice in the back of her head telling her that he was still missing in action.

She took a deep breath and fixed her hair and got ready to go. Before she left, she made sure everything was off and grabbed the C.D. out of her stereo. While she drove to the church, she listened to Lead Me to the Cross and tried her best to sing it the whole way through. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the church and she was able to listen to it three times. She listened the first two times and, finally, sung it the third time.

When she got there, it was 3:30 and she had thirty minutes to get ready and prepare. She sat by herself and practiced and, finally at 4:00, it was time. Before they went out, Chris came up to her and thanked her again for filling in at such short notice. When she was finished talking to him, they walked out onto the familiar stage.

As they progressed through each song, she became more and more nervous. There were more people on the ground floor as well as the balcony. The lights came on and Jim, the other lead singer, was amazing as usual. When he was finished singing his two songs, he instructed the congregation to turn and greet someone sitting nearby. Allison stepped up to her microphone and got ready to sing 'This is our God.'

She wasn't nervous at all and she sung it with as much passion and love as she always did. It was only when that song ended and the band started to play Lead Me to the Cross did she get nervous. She said a quick prayer and asked God to please be with her as she sung. When it was time for her to start singing, she stepped up to her microphone.

* * *

><p>God was with her; that was the only explanation as to how she held it together during the song. There was no doubt that it was hard and she even teared up in the chorus and at the end of the song. The thing that kept her focused was God and the fact that she was singing to him. Only at the very end did she get really emotional and she had to ask Jim to say the prayer after the song.<p>

She was elated that she had kept it together during the song and she was so proud and excited. It was much harder having to sing it up on the stage rather than in her room or in her car. She had the entire congregation looking at her and she wanted to overcome this obstacle as best she could.

After Jim gave the benediction, they walked off stage. It had gotten really emotional at the very end and she had to go sit down and regain herself. Tears were falling down her cheeks as she sat down. She wiped them and Amanda, the pianist, brought her some tissues and insisted Allison tell her what was wrong. She wiped her eyes,

"It's nothing, it's a personal issue. Thanks so much for bringing me the tissues."

"You're welcome, sweetie." Allison gave an embarrassed laugh,

"I bet my mascara is running everywhere, right?" Amanda smiled and shook her head,

"No, you look great, honey." Allison smiled,

"Thank you. Well, I think I'm going to head home if that's okay."

"Of course, I'm right behind you. I stayed at the 11:00 service and listened to him preach. My brother is coming in from Greensboro so I have to get home. Do you want to walk out together?"

"Sure, let's go."

They walked to the door that led out to the lobby and they were almost to it when Chris called Amanda's name. They both turned around and he asked,

"Hey, can you stay for a minute? I need to talk to you about next week's music."

"Sure, but I can't stay long."

"Okay, that's fine; it'll only be a minute."

"All right." She turned to face Allison,

"Go ahead, don't wait for me. I'll see you next week! And I hope you feel better." Allison smiled,

"Thank you, I'll see you next week."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

She turned and walked out the door and into the lobby. She walked across the lobby and went out the door she came in and her car was all the way across the parking lot. As she dug through her purse to find her keys, they fell out and landed on the ground. She bent down to pick them up and, when she stood back up, she saw something across the parking lot that made her stop in her tracks.

As she realized what and who that someone was, her heart skipped multiple beats and her stomach fell to her knees. She then felt paralyzed as that someone started walking towards her.

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><p><strong>Holy crack, could that be Ben? Is he still alive? How did he survive if that is him? Oh my, I hate cliffhangers, but I think this was a good place to end. <strong>

**FYI, the next chapter is going to be short. Like really short. But I think you'll like it. And then after that comes the epilogue! So excited! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review!**


	53. Chapter 52

**Whoaaa guys this is the last chapter for the story! Besides the epilogue of course. I know you guys are eager to finish it up so i'll make it short! This chapter is really short but I think you guys will like it :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 52<strong>

As Ben began walking towards her, his throat was in his stomach. When he first saw her walk out of the church, it literally took his breath away. He could only stop and stare as he tried to come to terms with the fact that Allison was standing less than fifty feet away from him. He never thought this day would come and, a couple of days ago, he was almost convinced it wouldn't.

Had the U.S. military not broken into the room he was being held in when they did, he wouldn't be here. They shot both Shivam and Hashim and airlifted Ben to the nearest hospital. There, he was treated and he had to have surgery done on his leg where he had been shot. He also had stitches in his face where Shivam had punched him with the brass knuckles.

His body was very weak and they made him stay a couple of days, trying to get his body stronger. He was released a couple of days later and the Air Force immediately booked him the first flight to Wilmington. When he landed, he, somehow, knew that Allison would be at the church and, amazingly, she was. And now, she was standing in front of him as he walked towards her.

* * *

><p>As he got closer to her, he could tell by her face that she was shocked and that she probably didn't believe it was really happening; he could barely believe it himself. She didn't move and she barely even blinked as he stopped in front of her.<p>

His stomach was in his knees and he had imagined this moment for two long months. As he stopped in front of her, he saw tears come to her eyes. He had no idea what she was thinking as he stared at her. They simply stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime until he raised his hand and brought it to her face. She softly closed her eyes and then opened them again, this time with tears filling them. He got tears in his own eyes as he simply whispered her name,

"Allison?" The sound of his voice must have broken the shock she was in and tears started flowing down her cheeks as she whispered,

"Ben?"

He smiled weakly as tears fell down his cheeks and she broke down and threw her arms around his neck and threw herself into his arms. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up. He held her so tight and broke down himself. He heard her bawling and this made him hold her even tighter, tears flowing from both of their eyes.

He didn't know how long he held her in his arms, but he did know that he never wanted to let her go. She finally pulled back to look at him; her arms still wrapped around his neck and his arms still wrapped tightly around her waist. She looked down at him since he was holding her in the air and her eyes were blood red. Tears were still falling down both of their faces as he finally reached up and kissed her.

She closed her eyes and kissed him back and he knew, without a doubt, that he was never going to leave her again. He knew God had heard him and his prayers had been answered. Kissing her at that moment was unlike anything he could've imagined. He had dreamt of this day for months but to actually be experiencing was indescribable. As he held her in his arms, he knew he could live to be a hundred and nothing would ever compare to that feeling- the feeling of knowing he would never again experience the pain of leaving the girl he loved.

They only kissed for a few moments but he knew moments like that were the first of many. When she pulled away, she had tears streaming down her face. He put her down but pulled her close and wiped the tears from her face with both of his hands. She finally looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head. She finally regained herself and smiled,

"I can't believe you're here." He smiled and ran his fingers along her cheek,

"Well, I promised you I would come back to you, didn't I?"

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><p><strong>He's back! Yayayayayayay! Finally, right? I know, it's super short. But super sweet! Well, there's only one more chapter left...how sad :( but it'll be up like really soon. It's 12:30 in the afternoon here in Wilmington so it's safe to say that the epilogue will be up before the day ends. Hope you guys enjoyed it! :)))<strong>


	54. Epilogue

****Ladies and gentlemen up in the house, I am proud to present the last and final chapter/ epilogue of All I Wanted! I'll save my thank you's and stuff till the end. So, for the last time, hope you enjoy :)****

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Nine months later…

As Ben stepped out onto the front porch of his one-story home, he watched the sun set in front of him. He had just gotten off of the phone with his father- they planned to take a fishing trip to Sutton Lake the following Sunday. He looked down at his outfit and made sure he looked alright and went out to his truck and made sure he had everything; the blanket and thermos.

He went back up on the porch and sat down in one of the blue and white wicker chairs they had set up. He was nervous and excited all at the same time and he could barely sit still. It felt heavy in his right pocket and it felt like a brick when he had dropped it in after he finished dressing. He took it out and looked at it, wondering how something so little could bring so many emotions along with it. He smiled before putting it back into his pocket.

He sat nervously and excitedly for almost ten minutes until he saw her car pull into the driveway. He smiled and stood up and walked down the porch steps. He could see Allison smiling from behind the wheel and, as he walked over to her car, she put it in park and got out,

"You look nice, what's the occasion?" He smiled,

"What? I can't even get a hello?" She smiled, too, and put her arms around his neck,

"I'm sorry. Hey, babe, how was your day? I missed you so much." He laughed,

"That's better; it was wonderful and I missed you as well. How was your day?"

"Good, all of my patients were very nice today; they didn't yell at me and tell me I had no idea what I was doing." He laughed,

"That happens a lot, huh?"

"More than you could imagine." He nodded,

"Well, hopefully this'll make your day that much better; I made us dinner reservations at the Deck House at Carolina Beach. Go get ready; they're for 6:30." She grinned,

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack." She smiled and gave him a quick kiss,

"Will you give me ten minutes?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>He sat on the front porch as she went inside and got ready. Their recently purchased home was one story, two bedrooms and one bath. They purchased it with the money he got from the Air Force and some of the money she made nursing. A couple of months after he got back, he found a job as a mechanic in a brake shop. It was a beautiful home and Allison made it that much more beautiful by planting flowers around the porch and sides of the house.<p>

The inside was even better. The whole house had tons of knick-knacks that Allison had brought from her apartment and some they had bought together. Even though it had only been nine months, a lot had happened and he had fallen even more in love with Allison- something he thought wasn't possible. They spent every moment together and, though they did disagree a couple of times, who didn't anyway? He couldn't imagine life without her. That's why they had just bought a house together a month ago and he hoped today would solidify the bond between them.

It took him a while to recuperate from the torture he went through. His body was weak and he had whip and burn marks on his body for almost three months. He still had tons of scars, but most of them had healed. He told Allison everything, despite the fact that he didn't want to. He didn't want Allison to know what he went through but she wanted to know and he had to get a therapist soon after he got back.

He ended up sitting on the porch, reflecting on the past nine months for fifteen minutes until she came out. He stood up and saw that her hair was now down and that she had changed into a pair of jeans with a grey sweater and grey boots. He smiled,

"You look beautiful." She smiled as she closed the door,

"Thank you, sorry it took me so long"

"It's okay, you ready to go?"

"Let's do it, I'm starving."

* * *

><p>They drove down to the beach and parked at the Deck House and went inside. Their table was already ready thanks to Ben's reservation and they ate dinner across from each other in a booth against the wall. They held hands over the table as they ate and talked about different things. Towards the end of the meal, he said,<p>

"Do you remember our first real date here? And that old woman said that we made a cute couple when we were leaving?" She smiled and nodded,

"I remember. And then we went to the beach and watched the meteor shower."

"And then I kissed you; I was so nervous, you wouldn't even believe." She laughed,

"I was, too, but not because it was our first kiss." He looked up at her as she continued,

"It was because I was already in love with you and I had no idea what was going to happen. I was scared because you were in the Air Force and I didn't know if I could handle you being away for so long. But looking back, I would do it a million times over, just so I could be sitting across from you right now." He couldn't help but grin and he reached across the table and gave her a quick kiss, excited and nervous about what was going to happen next.

They finished eating and paid the bill and were pulling out of the parking lot when he turned right instead of left- the way back to the house. She looked at him,

"Ben, why are we going right?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? I have a surprise for you."

"You know I don't like surprises."

"Trust me, you'll love this one." They parked at the Fort Fisher Recreational Area and he turned to her,

"Alright, close your eyes."

She looked at him suspiciously, but did as he instructed. He got out when her eyes were closed and reached in the back and got the blanket and thermos and ran up the stairs and down to the sand. He slipped off his flip-flops and ran a little to the right and spread out the blanket and put the thermos on top of it. When he was done, he ran back to the truck and opened her door, out of breath,

"Alright, come on."

They walked hand- in- hand up the stairs and he made her close her eyes before they reached the sand. She smiled and knew enough not to argue and closed her eyes. He led her a couple of feet to the right and stopped her in front of the blanket.

"Okay, open your eyes." He finally whispered. She smiled and opened her eyes and saw the blanket sprawled out before her. She smiled but then it must've registered what he did because she grinned and turned to him,

"You re-created our first date?" He smiled and nodded,

"Yep." She was still smiling as she reached up and kissed him. He kissed her back and they kissed for a couple of seconds before they went and sat down on the blanket. She laid her head against him as he held her and they sat in a peaceful silence until he heard her whisper,

"The only thing that's missing is-"

"The meteor shower?" He finished for her. She looked at him and he smiled,

"Look up."

* * *

><p>She continued to look at him for a minute, obviously not believing that he had planned all of this perfectly, and then finally looked up. It only took her a minute to see a couple of meteors glide across the sky. He watched her as she continued to look up and he saw a huge grin come across her face. He knew she was the most beautiful person he had, and would ever, see. He began to get even more nervous and excited as the moment drew close. He smiled again as the smile on her face grew even bigger. He finally asked,<p>

"Are you surprised?" She was still staring at the sky and his voice must have brought her back. She finally turned and looked at him, still grinning,

"I can't believe you did this, this is absolutely amazing. How did you find out about the meteor shower?"

"It was in the paper a few days ago; it was in the science section so I knew you wouldn't read it." She laughed and leaned in and kissed him. He smiled and kissed her back and brought his hand up to her cheek. She pulled back, but was still only a couple of inches away from his face. She smiled and whispered,

"Thank you so much, this is amazing." He smiled,

"You're welcome."

She looked back up at the sky and watched the meteor shower play out above them. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he looked up also. He felt his right pocket and made sure the small package was still there. He let her watch the meter shower for about fifteen minutes until he said,

"Let's go down to the water, you want to?" She looked at him and then nodded,

"Sure."

They walked down to the water and they both rolled up their jeans and stood in the water- ankle deep. He then moved behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She smiled and laid her head back on his chest. He kissed her neck and they stood in silence for a few minutes.

He was as nervous as he could be, knowing the moment was very close now. He wasn't completely sure the exact moment it would happen, but he knew it would come. They continued to stand in silence until he heard her whisper head still against his chest,

"I can't believe you did all of this." He smiled,

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"It's just like our first date." He tried to swallow the huge lump in his throat as he realized that this was the moment. He swallowed nervously,

"It's not exactly the same, there's one thing that separates this one." She looked back at him,

"Really? What is it?"

"This."

* * *

><p>He pulled away and let her go as she turned to face him. He took a deep breath as he reached into his right pocket and got down on his knee. She then realized what he was doing and put both of her hands over her mouth as tears immediately filled her eyes.<p>

"Allison, you're the most loving, caring, giving, funniest, warmest and most beautiful person I've ever met and will ever meet. You changed my life in so many ways and the only thing I'm sure about in my life is you and the fact that we're meant to be together. God wouldn't have made us re-connect in that hospital if it wasn't meant to be. The only thing that kept me alive when I was kidnapped was you. You are, and will always be, the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you so much and I can't imagine my life without you in it. Will you marry me?"

Her hands were still over her mouth and tears were still in her eyes and, to Ben, it felt like years before she finally nodded her head and said, over and over again,

"Yes, yes I'll marry you."

He grinned and stood up as she threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight as he picked her up and spun her around. He heard her crying, but knew they were tears of happiness. He got tears in his own eyes as he realized his life was now complete. This was all he wanted.

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><p><strong>:D :D :D :D :D :D :D Well, I hope you guys liked it! I thought it was a pretty good ending if I do say so myself. <strong>

**I want to give a huge, huge, huge thank you to mihaela and MzMickey0014 for sticking with me since the very beginning. It's been like a month and a half and you guys were, and are, so amazing. Y'all were honestly what kept me updating every day. **

**A huge thank you to mcagirl13, midnightstar0603, MrsSaraLeugers and flamesflyer who joined me along the way and blew me away with all of your amazing reviews! Y'all honestly mean so much to me 3**

**And a special thanks to everyone who favorited it along the way; there were alot so I won't name every one of you, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate it. It means so much!**

**Well, guys I hope you enjoyed the story. It's bittersweet because I'm gonna miss keeping up with all of you. But, we can all still message right? AND I'm on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. So check it out and send me some friend requests! I'll definately accept. Twitter: Rebekah146 Facebook: Heidi Hammond (i'm the one with the black jacket holding my nephew) and Youtube: Heidihammond141. If you can't find me, send me a message and i'll send you the link!**

**Like I was telling someone else earlier, I have just finished a side project that I started working on when I was writing All I Wanted so, if y'all want, I'll put it up! It's definately not as long as All I Wanted; All I wanted was 11 composition books and this one is 2 haha. But it's a story nonetheless. I'm trying to come up with new ideas for new stories so i'll keep y'all updated!**

**Well, I guess this is sort of goodbye? Not really, cause i'll be back. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Love you all so much! :)))))))))))))))))))**


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